Help me appeal my loss of eligibility:

Professional Judgment Authority

The Higher Education Act provides authority for a financial aid administrator to exercise discretion in a number of areas when a student has special or unusual circumstances. This authority is known as “professional judgment.” It allows the aid administrator to treat a student individually when conditions exist that differentiate that student from a class of students. Professional judgment decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis as the result of examining a particular student’s unique circumstances.

The Financial Aid Office can exercise discretion in certain areas when a student or his/her family has special or unusual circumstances that are not adequately addressed by the need analysis formula, regulations, or legislation. The Higher Education Act defines special circumstances as “conditions that differentiate an individual student from a class of students rather conditions that exist across a class.”

When such circumstances exist, the Act gives financial aid administrators the authority to exercise professional judgment in the following areas:

• Cost of Attendance (COA)
• Data elements used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• Dependency Status
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

The Financial Aid Office may exercise professional judgment to override SAP requirements when a student fails to meet academic standing or rate of progress requirements due to circumstances beyond the student’s control. These circumstances may include:

• Serious illness
• Accident or injury
• Medical or family emergency
• Death of a relative
• Federally-declared disaster
• Other personal crisis

To grant a professional judgment exception the Financial Aid Committee must determine that, absent the special circumstances, the student would have achieved satisfactory academic progress standards.

A student may request professional judgment consideration by submitting a petition to the Financial Aid Office. Students may submit petitions electronically through the VIP system. The Financial Aid Committee meets regularly to consider petition requests submitted by students.

The law gives a financial aid administrator the authority to request and use supplemental information when making a professional judgment decision. Such supplemental information is important because the special circumstances as well as the action taken must be documented in the student’s file.

When exercising professional judgment, the financial aid office must retain documentation of the student’s special or unusual circumstances. Third-party written documentation is preferred and includes items such as:

• Letters from doctors, lawyers, or other certified professionals
• Canceled checks
• Copies of bills
• Pay stubs
• Tax documents

The documentation must substantiate the special circumstances of the student which led to the professional judgment adjustment to his/her eligibility.

If you have additional questions regarding a potential appeal to the financial aid committee, you may schedule an appointment to meet with your financial aid counselor, please contact Student Services at (801) 422-4104.