Professional Judgement

Professional Judgment
 
  • Special Circumstances refer to the financial situations (loss of a job, etc.) that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the Cost Of Attendance (COA) or in the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation.
  • 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 (e.g., human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abuse or abandonment, incarceration), more commonly referred to as a dependency override.
Eligibility for financial aid is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which currently uses financial information from two years prior to estimate a family’s ability to pay for educational expenses.  The CCC Office of Financial Aid recognizes households can experience changes in income or other circumstances that are not reflected in their information from two years prior.  When these situations occur, it is possible to re-evaluate a student’s aid eligibility based on their current circumstances through the Professional Judgment (PJ) process. All PJ applications are REQUIRED to have a detailed letter of explanation and supporting documentation. A Professional Judgment cannot be processed for changes until verification is complete. Please note, there must be a significant change to the household finances or circumstances to be considered for a Professional Judgment. Students will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
 

How to Request a Professional Judgment:

Step 1-Request Professional Judgment (PJ)

  • Log into your StudentForms account to submit your PJ request
  • Complete the required information and upload supporting documentation
  • Receive response from CCC Office of Financial Aid