Student Financial Services

Student Financial Aid & Student Accounts

A college education is one of the most important investments you’ll make in your life.

At Converse, we are committed to helping you afford a personalized, private college education. Your starting cost begins with low tuition that compares favorably with both private and premier public universities.

You’ll save money by graduating in 4 years with the Converse Guarantee—compare that to much lower rates at public and some private schools. On top of that, federal and state need-based aid, as well as merit-based and talent-based scholarships, drive your bottom-line cost even lower.

Financial Aid Quick Links

Filing for Financial Aid

Reevaluation & Special Circumstance Appeal Form

2024-2025 FAFSA Simplification Act

Enrollment in Courses & Financial Aid Eligibility

Tuition Cost and Aid

Learn more about the costs of attendance and the wide variety of Converse, state, and federal aid available to make your education affordable.

If you’re coming to Converse from high school, you can use the Net Cost Calculator to get an estimate of your aid and costs.

The FAFSA requests demographic and income information does not always give students the opportunity to explain a circumstance that may impact his or her ability to pay for college.

For example, the household financial status on the FAFSA is not accurate based on special circumstances.

Students may submit a Reevaluation Appeal to request Converse University Student Financial Aid take special circumstances into account to do a reassessment of the FAFSA. The Department of Education does allow Converse the ability to consider adjustments to a student’s FAFSA when special or unusual circumstances exist, but in limited scenarios.

These changes may make a difference in a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), eligibility for Federal Pell Grant, and/or eligibility for Federal Direct Subsidized Loans.

Please note that Converse University is not required by law to process a Reevaluation & Special Circumstances Appeal. If you feel you have special circumstances, please explore the information below for further assistance or specifics that might apply to your special circumstance.

You may also contact a financial aid counselor to discuss if a Reevaluation Appeal might benefit you. Decisions by the University are final and cannot be appealed to higher administration or the U.S. Department of Education.

What qualifies as a Special or Unusual Circumstance?

When determining financial aid eligibility, the following may qualify as unusual circumstances:

Loss or reduction of employment, wages, or unemployment compensation
Exceptional medical and/or dental expenses
Divorce or separation that occurred after the FAFSA was filed
Death of a parent or spouse that occurred after the FAFSA was filed
An abusive family environment
Abandonment and/or estrangement by parents
Parents cannot be located
Refugee or asylee status
Parent incarceration

What does not qualify as a Special or Unusual Circumstance?

The following circumstances would not be considered special circumstances:

Parents refuse to financially support the student
Parents are unwilling to provide verification information
Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
High debt
High routine household expenses
Voluntary Income Loss
One-time income from 401K withdrawals, gambling winnings, etc.

If you have experienced one of the special circumstances above, Student Financial Aid may be able to reassess your Financial Aid Application. See the applicable section below for instructions on submitting a request.

Loss/Change in Income

FAFSA uses income information from two year’s prior. Many families can have income changes in two years. We also know that most families were impacted financially by COVID-19. According to a study by Discover®, 47% of respondents reported that their income decreased during the pandemic. If your current income is significantly less than what is reported on the FAFSA, you may consider submitting a request for an appeal review.

To help you determine if submitting an appeal may increase your financial aid offer, please consider the following:

Converse University only awards institutional funds through merit awards & need-based awards. Institutional awards are not eligible for an increase based on this type of review.
Most students who submit a review are seeking to see if they qualify for the Pell Grant, based on a change in income. The amount of Pell received is dependent on the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA. If your EFC is already $0, an appeal will not benefit you as your current FAFSA reflects maximum eligibility. The maximum Pell Grant award of a $0 EFC for 2022-2023 is $6,895.
In comparing your current income to the FAFSA, consider gross year-to-date pay, severance pay, state unemployment, federal supplemental unemployment, and projected future employment.

If you feel that you may qualify for an adjustment, please review our Reevaluation & Special Circumstance Appeal form for more information about explaining your special circumstances and submitting any supporting documentation. Please return the completed form and all required documentation as one complete packet by mail or hand deliver to:

Converse University
Student Financial Aid
580 East Main Street
Spartanburg, SC 29302

Once submitted, a Student Financial Aid staff member will review your appeal within 21 business days and perform an estimated calculation to determine if a Reevaluation & Special Circumstances Appeal is appropriate. If determined that a Reevaluation & Special Circumstances Appeal will be beneficial, additional forms and information will be required.

Please note that all correspondence will go to the student’s Converse email.

Students should continue with their current payment plans with the NelNet until decisions are final. Students/Parents submitting this request after September 30th, may also be asked to file their current year taxes before finalizing a professional judgment review decision.

Submit a request for additional financial aid due to financial/personal hardship with the Student Financial Aid Office at 580 East Main Street, Carnegie Building, Spartanburg, SC 29302.

Dependency Override

Parent information is required on the FAFSA for all students who are under 24 years old, unmarried, do not have children or dependents they support financially, and are not active duty military or a veteran. If students are unable to provide parent information on the FAFSA due to a unusual circumstance, students can request a Dependency Override Appeal with the Converse University Student Financial Aid Office.

We realize that in limited cases there are extreme and unusual circumstances that make a student independent.

As a reminder, an unusual circumstance can be an abusive family environment, abandonment or estrangement by parents, parents cannot be located, or parents are incarcerated.

The following situations do not qualify as an unusual circumstance:

Parents refuse to financially support the student
Parents are unwilling to provide verification information
Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency

If you feel that you may qualify for an adjustment, please review our Dependency Override form for more information and to explain your unusual circumstances and submit any supporting documentation.

Once submitted, a Student Financial Aid staff member will review your appeal within 21 business days and determine if you are eligible for a dependency override. If any additional forms or documentation is required, we will notify students via correspondence sent via the student’s Converse email.

Contact the Student Financial Aid Office with any questions or assistance with the Dependency Override process at financialaid@smxjjl.com or 864-596-9019.

Our Department Vision

Converse University Student Financial Services will be a leader in the nation by providing student-centered high-quality customer service and a faster, friendlier, and easier student financial experience.

Our Department Mission

Converse University Student Financial Services provides financial aid and student account services to students, working to eliminate financial barriers to higher education. We will be a leader in innovative student financial service delivery while empowering students to become transformative leaders who see clearly, decide wisely, and act justly.

Student Financial Services

Financial Aid Quick Links

Filing for Financial Aid

Reevaluation & Special Circumstance Appeal Form

2024-2025 FAFSA Simplification Act

Enrollment in Courses & Financial Aid Eligibility

Tuition Cost and Aid

1. Apply for an FSA ID

2. Complete Your FAFSA

3. Complete Your Application and Filing between December and May 1st

4. Send Your Final Transcripts and Other Documents

5. Keep Up with Student Communication

Loss/Change in Income

Dependency Override

Our Department Vision

Our Department Mission

Meet the Team

Danielle Fuller

Kala Hudson

James W. Kellam

Beverly Lowrance

Camryn Thomas