My financial situation has changed since I completed the FAFSA. How can I request a Professional Judgment?

While the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is intended to determine the amount a family can reasonably be expected to pay toward a student's college costs, circumstances occasionally arise that make the FAFSA data an inaccurate picture of family resources. A Professional Judgment (PJ) allows us to evaluate your current financial circumstances with the possibility of increasing your aid.

Some special conditions that may be reviewed:

• Retirement of dependent student's parent
• Death of dependent student's parent
• Parent's loss of employment
• Reduction of untaxed income (child support or Social Security income)
• High unreimbursed medical expenses in the base year (the tax year reported on your FAFSA)
• Circumstances that may complicate your dependency status
• Additional education expenses not already included in the standard budget, such as child care for a child or dependent, computer costs, travel for educational conferences, or additional coursework.

How to request a Professional Judgment

Consideration for the upcoming aid year opens in early April, at which point you should contact an advisor at the Office of Financial Aid to discuss whether you might benefit from completing a Professional Judgment form. This process will require supporting documentation of the situation.