Financial Aid & Scholarships
Professional Judgement
Professional judgment, as defined by the National Association of Federal Student Aid Administrators (NASFAA), is the discretion granted to financial aid administrators (FAA) by law to differentiate an individual student from a group of students to override dependency status based on unusual circumstances and/or make adjustments to a student’s need analysis. An FAA decides if adjustments to standard components of need are warranted due to special circumstances (NASFAA, 2023).
Beginning with the 2023/2024 academic year, professional judgment rules and guidance change significantly. The FAFSA Simplification Act now distinguishes between two different categories of professional judgment by amending section 479A of the HEA. These are special circumstances and unusual circumstances.
- Special Circumstances refer to financial situations that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the Cost of Attendance (COA) or Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation.
- Cost of Attendance Appeals can allow the Office of Financial Aid to increase a student’s cost of attendance elements, which can increase the amount of aid a student is eligible to receive. This does not increase the amounts of individual awards but can give students the ability to apply for additional scholarships, federal loans, and/or alternative loans.
- Unusual Circumstances refer to the conditions that justify an aid administrator making an adjustment to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation, more commonly referred to as a dependency override.
For the 2023-24 award year, applicants must still indicate an unusual circumstance and request a determination of independence with their school to allow processing of their FAFSA form.
Starting with the 2024-25 award year, both initial and renewal applicants who indicate they have an unusual circumstance on their FAFSA form will submit their application under a provisional independent status. This will allow applicants to receive a Student Aid Index (SAI) with an estimate of their Federal student aid eligibility, subject to a final determination by their school.
Unusual and Special Circumstances
Students who wish to submit a Special Circumstance or Unusual Circumstance Appeal will need to reach out to the Office of Financial Aid to request the appeal form. Once requested, the form will be available through the student’s Self-service on the NWCCD Hub. All Special Circumstance and Unusual Circumstance Appeal requests are being processed through the NWCCD Sheridan financial aid office. Please allow up to 60 days for processing.
Special Circumstances / Cost of Attendance Appeal
Situations that will be considered for Special Circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Substantial loss or reduction of wage income
- Unusually high medical or dental expenses not covered by insurance
- Death, divorce, or separation of parents or spouse
- One-time income received during the FAFSA tax year that will not be repeated
- Private school tuition payments for minor children
- Loss of benefits such as unemployment, disability, social security, veterans, child support, or alimony
- Natural disaster affecting the home in which you live (fire, flood, etc.)
Cost of Attendance Increases
- Dependent care expenses
- Required computer or software purchase
- Disability-related expenses
- Travel expenses related to program of study
- Program or course fees not already included in your cost-of-attendance
Please note that consumer debt, including credit card debt, car, and mortgage payments, will not be considered.
The FAFSA must have been received by the school before students can submit an appeal. After reviewing the special circumstance documentation, the student’s aid package may remain the same, be increased, or reduced according to the financial information that has been submitted. Submitting a Special Circumstance Appeal does not guarantee an adjustment will be made to the student’s financial aid package. Decisions are final and will be communicated directly to the student. If approved, any additional funding awarded is only available for the academic school year for which the appeal is approved. Special circumstances must be reviewed annually.
Unusual Circumstances
Unusual circumstances may be considered for a dependency override after you file your FAFSA and before receiving your initial award notification for the current aid year. After reviewing your unusual circumstance documentation, your aid package may remain the same, be increased, or reduced according to the information that has been submitted. Additional requirements may be added after your appeal is reviewed. A dependency override does not guarantee an adjustment will be made to your aid package. Decisions are final and will be communicated directly to the student.
Unusual Circumstances Appeals that will be considered include, but are not limited to, the following situations:
- Parental abandonment or neglect
- Abusive family environment (physical or mental)
- Parent(s) incarceration
- Parents cannot be located/no contact with any parent
- Victim of human trafficking
- Refugee or asylee status
Examples of circumstances that will not be considered for a dependency override:
- Parents do not claim you as a dependent on their tax return
- Parents are not helping you pay for college
- Parents refuse to complete or sign the FAFSA
- No longer living with parents (unless due to one of the unusual circumstances listed in the section above)
- Involuntary court ordered placement in a juvenile facility