FAFSA financial aid reconsideration after husband's retirement - can we get more aid?

yep, you need to file for what they call "professional judgment" or "special circumstances review" - my wife retired last yr and we got extra $5k after appeal

This is a common situation! You need to contact the financial aid office at your daughter's school and request a "Professional Judgment Review" or "Special Circumstances Appeal." Each school handles these differently, but typically you'll need: 1. A formal letter explaining the change in circumstances (retirement date, income before/after) 2. Documentation of the retirement (letter from employer) 3. Estimate of your new income with documentation 4. Most recent pay stubs showing current income I work in college counseling and see these appeals approved frequently when there's a significant income change like retirement. Don't wait - contact them immediately as some schools have deadlines for these appeals.

We went through this exact scenario last year when my wife retired. It was honestly a nightmare getting anyone to help us. We called the financial aid office like 20 times and kept getting voicemail or disconnected. Finally sent a certified letter and still nothing for weeks. When we finally got through, they were actually really helpful but getting to someone was the hardest part.

Make sure you understand the difference between appealing to the school vs. correcting your FAFSA. Your FAFSA uses prior-prior year tax info (2023 taxes for 2025-2026 aid year), which you can't change just because of future income changes. The school's professional judgment process is separate - they can adjust your aid package based on your new circumstances but this doesn't change your official FAFSA SAI number. Each school handles these appeals differently.

I did this last year and it was successful! My husband retired and our income dropped by about 45%. I wrote a letter to the financial aid office explaining the situation, included his retirement letter from his employer, our most recent bank statements, and an estimate of our new annual income. They increased our grant aid by $7,200 for the year. One tip - follow up weekly! These requests can get buried, and the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Good luck!

omg dont just send a letter!!! you need to call and talk to a financial aid counselor FIRST then send whatever documentation they tell you to send!!! each school has different requirements and if you send the wrong stuff they might just put it in a pile and never look at it because its incomplete!!!!

One important thing to keep in mind: Professional Judgment reviews are exactly that - based on the judgment of the financial aid administrator. They're not required to adjust your aid, even with documentation. Focus your letter on the permanent change in financial circumstances and provide clear before/after income projections. Be precise about when the retirement is happening and how it impacts your ability to pay for the 2025-2026 academic year specifically. Schools are more likely to adjust when the change is permanent (like retirement) versus temporary changes.

My parents tried this when my dad retired early for health reasons. School basically told us tough luck, said they already gave out all their institutional funds. Be prepared for that possibility too. We ended up having to take out more Parent PLUS loans than we planned.

If you run into problems, you might qualify for a dependency override too. Not sure of your exact situation, but worth looking into all options.