Request for Review of Financial Aid Award (PDF) Review Requests
The Expected Family Contribution determined during the college application process prior to your first year will remain in effect during your tenure at Smith. Appeals for those students already receiving financial aid from Smith College are granted only in extreme cases when a life-changing event has occurred. International students who are currently not receiving financial assistance may appeal only when there has been a significant life-changing event. Examples of significant life-changing events include the death of a parent or extremely high medical expenses.
For those already receiving financial aid or those who applied in their first year but determined ineligible, enrollment of a sibling in a U.S. college or university may also be considered as a situation where an exception may be granted.
As all International student appeals are considered exceptions to policy, these appeals are reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee is chaired by the vice president of enrollment and includes one member of the faculty, the dean of students and the controller. The director of student financial services is a nonvoting member of the committee.
The Appeal Process
Students must present appeals by completing a Request for Review form and submitting all required documentation. The committee will consider the appeal as soon as possible. It generally takes one to two weeks for the committee to convene and review the appeal. A decision will be given to the student in writing within 48 hours after the appeal is heard. The decision of the appeals committee is final in all cases.
Noncustodial Parent Waiver Petitions
It is Smith College policy to calculate institutional financial aid eligibility for all applicants and students on their complete households and on all parental figures regardless of whether the parents live together or are legally recognized. The standard practice at Smith College is that we consider each parent in our calculations. In the case of same-sex couples, Smith College considers that when a couple welcomes a child into their home to create a family, each adult person becomes a parent. This definition is separate from any policy by a federal or state government regarding the legality of marriage, legal custody, or whether a second person was able to be listed on a birth certificate or adoption paperwork.
Smith College requires noncustodial parent financial aid application material based on the student's response on the CSS Profile to the Biological/Adoptive Parents Marital Status question and other financial aid application information.
If you are petitioning for Smith College to make an exception to the requirement that your non-custodial parent submit financial aid application material, you must submit the College Board Noncustodial Parent Waiver Petition.
