When there are unusual situations or circumstances that impact your federal student aid eligibility, federal regulations give a financial aid administrator discretion or professional judgment on a case-by-case basis and with adequate documentation to make adjustments to the data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form that impact your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to gain a more accurate assessment of your family's ability to contribute to your cost of education.
The following list includes common circumstances in which Professional Judgment may apply:
- Job loss or decrease in income
- Change in student or dependent student’s parents’ marital status
- Death of a dependent student’s parent
- Excessive medical and dental expenses
- Catastrophic loss, such as damage or loss from a natural disaster
- A dependent student has a parent also attending college
- Dependency override
Note: The list above is not all inclusive, additional scenarios apply.
Review our financial aid re-evaluation knowledge base article for more information.
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