<p>Our family has had some large health expenses this year, some of which were paid through a 125 plan, some from an HSA, and a big chunk out-of-pocket. The amount paid out-of-pocket may or may not be enough to trigger itemizing on the Federal return. The FAFSA does not ask about this directly, but is this something for which the school could grant a special circumstances adjustment, and if so, would all the expenses not paid by insurance qualify?</p>
<p>You have to ask the school to make a special circumstances adjustments. We had one several years ago and the school told us to report everything including any out of pocket dental and prescription expenses and out insurance premiums. We gave them a thick bundle of papers (with everything summarized on a page on the front of the bundle - there was a lot). Then they waded through it and did a special circumstances adjustment. I don’t know exactly what they dia or did not allow.</p>
<p>It is not a $ for $ change in the EFC. The FA officer changes your income and then it all goes through the EFC formula again and produces a new EFC.</p>
<p>The expenses have to be above what is already allowed for medical expenses in the income protection allowance in the EFC formula. (I think it is something like 11% of the income protection allowance).</p>
<p>I am curious to know how expenses paid out of a HSA are treated as those are before tax dollars. We will have a HSA for the first time this year. I am expecting some even higher than usual medical bills this year. Ours are always very high because of my husbands health problems, I think I am going to have some this year because of issues I have been neglecting for $$ reasons (with my husbands health problems being life threatening I tend to put my health care on the backburner when there is only so much $$). Please come back and let us know how the schools treat the HSA expenses.</p>
<p>I’ll do that. Unfortunately, I’m rather expecting a “huh?” because that seems to be the reaction every time issues come up with an HSA. The income tax forms for the first couple of years were awful – no good explanation of how some of these things should be handled.</p>
<p>As noted, health expenses are treated as a special circumstance consideration. Bring all documentation of the expenses and how they were paid. The school will determine IF they are going to consider this request. Some do and some don’t. It is at the discretion of the school to decide what to do in these cases, if anything.</p>