Reevaluation of Your Financial Aid

Students gathered around a lounge talking, studying, and gazing out the windows at the view overlooking the Art Institute museum.

If you need your financial aid package to be reevaluated, there are several types of appeals that a student may submit to the Student Financial Services office to be reviewed by committees at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).

You can review your options below or contact a Student Financial Services Advisor at 312.629.6600 or visit us at 36 South Wabash Avenue, Suite 1200 to discuss your particular situation and determine your next steps.

See Submitting Documents for options on how to submit supporting documents.

FAFSA Professional Judgment Appeal*

FAFSA applicants can appeal to the SAIC Financial Aid Committee for consideration of additional aid. A FAFSA appeal (also known as Professional Judgment) allows you to explain changes in your family's financial situation that may not have been addressed on your FAFSA. Financial situations may be due to loss of a job, separation or divorce, death, disability, unusual medical expenses, or other circumstances. Appeals can be submitted online at saic.edu/faappeal. Here is the 2024-25 Need-Based Appeal Form and the 2025-26 Need-Based Appeal Form.

For further details view Types of FAFSA Professional Judgment Appeals and Documentation.

*Students selected for federal verification, through the annual FAFSA, must complete the verification requirements before Professional Judgment appeals can be processed, in regards to FAFSA adjustments.

Cost of Attendance/Budget Adjustment Appeal

Your financial aid eligibility is based on a standard budget. We may be able to increase your budget—and your financial aid loan eligibility (usually Federal Direct PLUS or Private Loans) and sometimes Federal Work-Study, if you have allowable expenses that you are incurring during the academic year that are higher than your standard financial aid budget, called a Cost of Attendance (COA). Adjustments may not be able to be accommodated for submitted requests to increase expenses that exceed the standard allowances by more that 15 percent.

For more information view Cost of Attendance/Budget Adjustment Details.

Merit Scholarship Suspension/Loss Appeal

Students who have received a merit scholarship through the Admissions office are required to adhere to specific terms and conditions. These conditions include completion of at least 75 percent of all attempted credit hours each semester (W grades not included) in order to remain eligible for future semesters. (Some scholarships may require a 100 percent completion rate.)

Students who do not meet the requirements may have their merit scholarship suspended and have the option to appeal. Students may appeal to the SAIC Merit Appeal Committee for consideration of reinstatement of their merit scholarship by submitting an SAIC Merit Scholarship Suspension Appeal HERE. Merit appeals should include information as to why the student may not have had a successful semester and their plan for academic success moving forward.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (FASAP) Appeal

Students who are not in good academic standing of SAIC's FASAP policy and are placed on suspension are ineligible to receive financial aid but may, however, appeal their status in writing. The policy, details, and appeal form are at saic.edu/cost-financial-aid/policies in the FASAP section.