Special Circumstances and Professional Judgment Policy

We understand that circumstances may arise where your family’s financial situation may be jeopardized, creating challenges in financing your education

Federal regulations allow an aid administrator to use their Professional Judgement on a case-by-case basis to alter the data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) used to calculate the Student Aid Index (SAI) in special circumstances, 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 an aid administrator can proceed with your request, we must have all conflicting information resolved. If you have been selected for verification, a special circumstance cannot be processed for changes until verification is complete.

The submission of a special circumstance and professional judgement request does not guarantee a change to your financial aid award.

Special Circumstances

The primary reason for a special circumstance is to make adjustments to lower a student’s Student Aid Index (SAI). In some instances, the adjustments will assist in qualifying the student for need based funding.

Reasons for submitting a special circumstance include:

Loss of employment: If the year to date income is equal to or more than the previous year income, no changes can be made for loss of employment.
Separation or divorce: Changes can only be made if both parent/stepparent income was included on the FAFSA and a separation or divorce occurred after the FAFSA was submitted.
Unusual medical expenses (not covered by insurance)
Death of a spouse or parent: Changes can only be made if income of the deceased was included on the FAFSA.
One-time taxable income used for life-changing events (e.g. IRA, pension distribution, back-year Social Security payments)
Parent retired
Marriage of the student
Child Support reduction or change

Reasons that do not merit a special circumstance include:

Standard living expenses (e.g. utilities, credit card payments, mortgage payments, etc.)
Credit card or other personal debts

How to request a Special Circumstance

E-mail your Financial Aid Counselor to determine if a special circumstance may help you qualify for additional aid. Please provide a detailed explanation of your special circumstances. Your assigned counselor will reply and request the necessary documents for the review. A list of documentation that may be requested:

Signed tax return (years to be determined by the counselor)
W-2S and/or 1099 forms
Unemployment benefits statement
Court or Legal documents
Death certificates
Other applicable documentation determined by the financial aid counselor

Changes to the Cost of Attendance: Budget Adjustment

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is the maximum amount of financial and scholarships a student can receive. Cost of attendance does not represent an amount you will owe to the university. COA includes tuition and fees, food and housing, allowances for books and supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous/personal expenses. Students with an unusual expense that might affect their COA can contact Financial Aid to determine if an increase is appropriate.

Each student’s financial needs are different, so the estimated COA may not accurately reflect every student’s circumstances. Federal regulations permit aid administrators, on a case-by-case basis, to increase the COA to reflect the student’s actual (documented) living expenses.

The goal of adjusting the COA is to allow the student to borrow additional loan funds, subject to annual loan limits and/or credit approval (for PLUS or private loans). Adjusting the COA does not result in additional need-based grant or scholarship eligibility.

Examples of reasons to request a COA adjustment:

Computer Cost: This cost may be added for students who purchase a computer for their major or residential college. The computer does not have to be required by the college or major to be added to the COA.
Housing costs in excess to the amount allotted in the COA
Food costs in excess of the amount allotted in the COA
Transportation costs in excess of the amount allotted in the COA (car payments/lease NOT allowed)
Dependent childcare expenses

How to request a Change in your Cost of Attendance

E-mail your Financial Aid Counselor to determine if a special circumstance may help you qualify for additional aid. Please provide a detailed explanation of your actual expenses related to the cost of attendance. Your assigned counselor will reply and request the necessary documents for the review. A list of documentation that may be requested:

Signed copy of lease
Receipts (grocery, computer, etc…)
Other applicable documentation determined by the financial aid counselor

Petition for Independent Student Status

Generally, undergraduate students are considered dependents of their legal (biological, adoptive, or otherwise determined by the state) parent(s) for the purposes of calculating financial aid eligibility and parental information must be provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). An undergraduate student’s dependency status for tax filing purposes is not necessarily reflective of their dependency status for financial aid.

Under very limited circumstances, undergraduate students may qualify to have a change made to their dependency status for the purpose of determining financial aid eligibility. Documented cases of abuse, neglect, incarceration, abandonment by the parents, etc. will be considered.

Parent refusal to provide information on the FAFSA is not a valid reason for a petition for independent status. However, students whose parents refuse to provide information on the FAFSA may be eligible to receive dependent level unsubsidized loans. If this applies to you, contact your Financial Aid Counselor.

How to request a Petition for Independent Student Status

E-mail your Financial Aid Counselor to determine if a special circumstance may help you qualify for additional aid. Please provide a detailed explanation of your circumstances related to the petition for independent student status. Your assigned counselor will reply and request the necessary documents for the review.