Professional Judgment
Professional judgments are performed on a case by case basis and the Financial Aid Department will inform students of deadlines for document submission. Reasons for a professional judgment include, but are not limited to:
In the event of a professional judgment, the Financial Aid Department will request specific documentation from the student and send it to FAS (Financial Aid Services, Inc.) for processing. The school is notified of the professional judgment coming through successfully or unsuccessfully via third-party service software. Professional judgments are processed by third party servicer, FAS. Documents are scanned and uploaded to a secured database. The school will notify students in a timely manner to discuss financial aid and any changes resulting from professional judgment, if applicable.
- Dependency Override
- Change in Earnings / Untaxed Income / Benefits
- Divorce / Separation / Death of a Spouse or Parent
- Unusually High Medical or Dental Expenses NOT covered by insurance
- Unemployment / Disability
- Rollover Exclusion
- Tuition Expenses at an Elementary or Secondary School
- Nursing Home Expenses NOT covered by insurance
- Unusually High Child Care or Dependent Care Costs
- Dislocated Worker Status of a Family Member
- Offer a dependent student financial assistance without requiring the parents to complete FAFSA
- Parents enrolled at least half time in a degree, certificate, or other program leading to a recognized educational credential at an institution with a program participation agreement under Section 487
- Received a one-time income distribution
- Housing Status of Student has resulted in homelessness
- Local Disaster (hurricane, earthquake, etc.)
- Other extenuating circumstances
In the event of a professional judgment, the Financial Aid Department will request specific documentation from the student and send it to FAS (Financial Aid Services, Inc.) for processing. The school is notified of the professional judgment coming through successfully or unsuccessfully via third-party service software. Professional judgments are processed by third party servicer, FAS. Documents are scanned and uploaded to a secured database. The school will notify students in a timely manner to discuss financial aid and any changes resulting from professional judgment, if applicable.
Dependency Override
Requests for Dependency Override verifications are performed on a case by case basis and the Financial Aid Department will inform students of deadlines for document submission. Reasons for dependency override may include parental abandonment, neglect, abuse, student homelessness, etc. The student may be asked to provide any supporting documentation to substantiate claims regarding circumstances with parents (which may include: police reports, official orders of emancipation, letters of reference from family members or non-relatives, etc.).
Examples of unreasonable professional judgment include but are not limited to:
The school will notify students in a timely manner to discuss any potential financial aid and any changes resulting from dependency override, if applicable.
Examples of unreasonable professional judgment include but are not limited to:
- Parents refuse to contribute to student’s education
- Parents are unwilling to provide information on FAFSA or for verification/professional judgment
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
- Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency
The school will notify students in a timely manner to discuss any potential financial aid and any changes resulting from dependency override, if applicable.
