Special Circumstances and Professional Judgment

Federal regulations allow an aid administrator to use their Professional Judgment (PJ) on a case-by-case basis to alter the data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), to change the student’s dependency status or to adjust the student’s cost of attendance. Adjustments must be determined to be appropriate and reasonable as deemed by the aid administrators. The student must provide documentation to demonstrate the reason for the adjustment and it must relate to the special circumstances that differentiate the student. Inconsistent or conflicting information must be resolved before making any adjustments.

Before a financial aid counselor can proceed with your PJ request, we must have an error-free FAFSA on file. If you have been selected for Federal Verification, a Professional Judgment cannot be processed for changes until verification is complete.

The submission of a Professional Judgement request does not guarantee a change to your financial aid award.