When to submit medical expense documentation to FAFSA for better financial aid package?

You need to contact both financial aid offices ASAP - like tomorrow. Medical expenses are considered special circumstances that can significantly affect your aid package, but they won't automatically be factored into your FAFSA/SAI calculation. Each school handles these differently, but most have a Professional Judgment (PJ) process where they can adjust your aid based on these expenses. Don't wait until after commitment - the aid offices need time to review documentation and recalculate offers before your deposit deadline.

we did this last yr. paid out 35k for my wifes treatment & got nowhere with finaid office. they said medical had to be catastophic & exceed 11% of our AGI which it did but still nothing changed. good luck tho maybe ur schools better

I work in a financial aid office. You need to request a "Professional Judgment Review" or "Special Circumstances Review" at BOTH schools immediately. This won't change your official SAI score on the FAFSA itself, but schools can make internal adjustments to your financial need calculation. What to submit: - Letter explaining the situation - Documentation of diagnosis - Summary of annual expenses (categorized) - Proof of payment (EOBs, receipts) - Verification that insurance won't cover more The financial aid packages can absolutely be adjusted based on these expenses. But timing matters - most schools have their own internal deadlines for appeals before May 1st commitment date.

As someone who just went through this, make sure you mention the ONGOING nature of the expenses!!! Financial aid offices tend to be more responsive when they understand these aren't one-time costs. Your husband's condition requiring consistent treatment matters because it affects your ability to pay for all 4 years. Also ask specifically about institutional (non-federal) aid opportunities, some schools have funds specifically for families with medical hardships.

Why are families expected to completely destory there savings for medical AND college?????? The whole system is SO BROKEN its like they want us to choose between health or education smh

If you're having trouble getting through to the financial aid offices (which is common this time of year), try using Claimyr.com to get connected faster. I was on hold with my daughter's financial aid office for hours trying to discuss our special circumstances before I found this service. They got me through to an actual person in minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Seriously worth it when you're trying to get these time-sensitive appeals processed.

One more thing - make sure you're specific about the percentage of income these costs represent. Financial aid offices deal with lots of appeals, and putting it in perspective (40% of gross income!) makes your case stand out. Also, don't just submit the documentation - follow up with a phone call to the financial aid counselor assigned to your student. The personal connection can make a difference in how they view your case.

To answer your follow-up question about timing - most schools can complete a professional judgment review in 1-2 weeks if you provide complete documentation upfront. However, this is their busiest season, so I recommend: 1. Submit documentation to both schools immediately 2. Email the financial aid office the same day notifying them you've submitted documentation for review 3. Call to confirm receipt within 48 hours 4. Request an estimated timeline for review 5. If it will extend beyond your deposit deadline, ask if you can get a deposit extension Most schools will work with you on the deposit deadline if you have a pending financial aid appeal. They understand these decisions are financial.

We went through this exact situation last year with our son. One school adjusted our EFC (now called SAI) by about $8,000 after reviewing our medical documentation, which meant an additional $8,000 in aid! But the other school only adjusted by $2,000. Same documentation, very different results. My advice: don't put all your eggs in one basket. Apply for outside scholarships too while you're waiting for these adjustments. And don't be afraid to follow up multiple times - the squeaky wheel gets the grease in financial aid offices!

Remember to ask specifically about CSS Profile too if either school uses it! Some schools require both FAFSA and CSS Profile, and the Profile actually has a specific section for unreimbursed medical expenses that FAFSA doesn't have. If you've already submitted it without including those expenses, you may need to request a correction.

As someone who works with families navigating medical expenses and college costs, I want to add that you should also document how these medical expenses have affected your family's ability to save for college. Create a simple timeline showing how your college savings plans were derailed by medical costs - this helps financial aid officers understand the full picture of your financial situation. Also, if your husband's condition has affected his ability to work or earn income, make sure to document that too as it compounds the impact. Some schools have emergency aid funds specifically for situations like yours that are separate from the regular financial aid process, so ask about those as well!

Just want to add another perspective as someone who went through this process recently - make sure you also get a letter from your husband's doctor explaining the necessity and ongoing nature of his treatment. Financial aid offices sometimes need medical validation that these aren't "elective" expenses. Our doctor wrote a brief letter explaining that my mom's treatments were medically necessary and would continue indefinitely, which seemed to carry weight with the appeals committee. Also, if you haven't already, consider reaching out to the schools' disability services offices - they sometimes have additional resources or can connect you with other departments that might have discretionary funds. The medical expenses are definitely worth appealing, but having multiple angles of support can really help your case!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to keep detailed records of ALL your communications with the financial aid offices throughout this process. Document who you spoke with, when, what was discussed, and any promises or timelines they gave you. I learned this the hard way when our first appeal seemed to disappear into a black hole and we had to start over. Having that paper trail helped us escalate to a supervisor and ultimately get our case resolved. Also, if possible, try to get any verbal commitments in writing via email - something like "Thank you for our phone conversation today. Just to confirm, you mentioned that our professional judgment review should be completed by [date] and that we can expect to hear back by email." This creates accountability and helps prevent things from falling through the cracks during their busiest season.

I went through something very similar two years ago when my son was applying to college. We had overwhelming medical expenses due to my daughter's rare genetic condition - about $38K annually. Here's what worked for us: Submit your appeal documentation to BOTH schools immediately, but also call each school to ask about their specific deadlines and requirements for professional judgment reviews. Some schools have different forms or want specific formatting. One school gave us a $12K adjustment while the other only gave us $3K - same exact documentation! Also, don't forget to include any travel expenses related to medical care if you have to go out of town for specialists. Those add up quickly and count as medical expenses. The key is being persistent but polite - I probably called each financial aid office 4-5 times throughout the process. It's absolutely worth the effort because that extra aid made the difference between my son attending his dream school or settling for our backup option.

I'm so glad you found this community! Your situation sounds incredibly stressful but you're taking all the right steps. Reading through everyone's advice here, I wanted to add that some schools also have hardship withdrawal policies that might be worth asking about - not that you'd want to use them, but knowing they exist can sometimes make financial aid officers more willing to work with you upfront rather than risk losing a student later. Also, if your husband's condition qualifies him for any disability benefits or if there are condition-specific foundations that offer family support, those resources might help offset some costs and free up more money for college. The medical expense appeals really can work - I've seen families get significant adjustments - but having multiple financial strategies in place gives you more security. You're being such a great advocate for your daughter!

I'm so sorry your family is dealing with such overwhelming medical expenses on top of college costs. As someone who recently went through a similar appeal process, I wanted to emphasize something others have touched on but is really crucial: make sure you frame this as an ongoing financial hardship, not just current expenses. When I submitted our appeal, I included a projection showing how these medical costs would continue throughout all four years of college, which helped the financial aid office understand this wasn't a temporary situation. Also, if your husband's medical condition has impacted his work schedule or earning capacity at all (even if he's still employed), make sure to document that too. Sometimes the indirect financial impacts can be just as important as the direct medical bills. The fact that you're spending 40% of your gross income on medical care is absolutely grounds for an appeal - that's an enormous burden that should definitely be considered. Don't get discouraged if one school is less responsive than the other; every institution handles these differently and you might be surprised which one comes through for you!