Financial Aid

For many families, paying for higher education can be a challenge. The Financial Aid Office at Pennsylvania Institute of Technology is ready to assist all qualified students in paying for their education and guide them through the process from start to finish.

The chances are excellent that you qualify for financial aid! More than 96 percent of P.I.T. students receive financial aid in some form — whether grants, loans, or work-study. Beyond financial aid, P.I.T. also offers scholarships, student payment plan options, and has a list of alternative lenders students can apply to as well (see below). The Financial Aid Office will continue to help in every step of the way.

• Click here to view Alternative Lenders
• Check out our net price calculator, which provides an early estimate of how much and what types of financial aid you might be qualified to receive.

Do you need to tell us something the FAFSA could not?

The FAFSA is a tool designed to estimate a family’s ability to pay for college. However, many students and/or families have circumstances that the FAFSA cannot capture in that snapshot, especially since the FAFSA asks for income information for two years prior.

A student may need their dependency status to be overridden or there may have been a change in the student’s or a dependent student’s family financial circumstances. Other students may have unusual educational expenses not accounted for in the Cost of Attendance (COA).

Students with special educational costs, dependency override needs, or changed financial circumstances may be able to benefit from a professional judgement appeal. If you would like to apply for a professional judgement, please contact your Financial Aid Advisor or e-mail fa@pit.edu for further assistance.

Special Circumstances

If a student or family has experienced a change in income or circumstance such that they feel the income and/or asset information provided on the FAFSA no longer represents their financial situation, the student may contact the Financial Aid Office to request a Special Circumstance Appeal. Special circumstances may include but are not limited to:

• Employment change
• Job loss
• Loss of financial benefits
• Receipt of one-time income in the reported tax year used to cover unexpected expenses
• Divorce or legal separation
• Death of a spouse or parent

The following circumstances may not qualify:

• Temporary reductions in income due to fluctuating markets or commissions (permanent reductions may be considered)
• Payment of consumer debt or other discretionary spending
• Refusal of a parent to provide financial support to the student

Contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss a Special Circumstance Appeal. A staff member will discuss your situation and the types of supporting documentation that will be required to review your appeal. All appeals require supporting documentation.

Unusual Circumstances

Students classified as dependent on the FAFSA who are unable to provide parent information may request a review of their dependency status based on adverse family circumstances.

Examples of reasons an Unusual Circumstance Appeal may be submitted:

• Legally granted refugee or asylum status
• Neglect or abandonment by parent(s)
• Death, incarceration, or institutionalization of parent(s)
• Unknown whereabouts of parent(s)
• Victims of human trafficking

Examples of reasons an Unusual Circumstance Appeal may not be submitted:

• Parent’s unwillingness or inability to provide financial information or support
• Parent(s) no longer claim the student on their tax return
• A student’s ability to be self-sufficient

Starting in 2024-25 students who are classified as dependent on the FASFA, but do not provide parent information will be assigned a “Provisional Independent” status. Students will receive an estimated SAI (Student Aid Index) and an estimate of eligibility for federal student aid but must work with their Financial Aid Office to determine final dependency status and eligibility for aid.

Students who wish to have their dependency status reviewed should contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss an Unusual Circumstance Appeal. A staff member will discuss your situation and the types of supporting documentation that may be required to review your appeal.

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

Regardless of their age, students who are unaccompanied and homeless, or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, qualify for a homeless youth determination. These students will be considered Independent on the FAFSA and are not required to provide parent information. Circumstances that qualify are:

• Unaccompanied—When a student is not living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.
• Homeless—Lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing.
• At risk of being homeless—When a student’s housing may cease to be fixed, regular, and adequate. For example, a student who is being evicted or has been asked to leave their current residence and has been unable to find fixed, regular, and adequate housing.

Students who have not been certified by one of the following individuals/agencies should contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss their circumstances:

• Your high school or school district homeless liaison
• The director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• The director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program

If you are unsure whether you would be considered homeless or at risk of homelessness, please contact the Financial Aid Office and a staff member will talk with you about your circumstances.

This is just a general list of some of the most commonly considered circumstances. If you do not see your circumstance listed, you should still make an appointment to talk with a Financial Aid Advisor.