Professional Judgment (Policy FA-17)

Policy:

In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), a financial aid administrator (i.e., the Director of Financial Aid and/or Financial Aid Counselors) may exercise professional judgment to adjust data on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is used to calculate the student’s eligibility for financial aid. Professional judgment is considered only on a case-by-case basis when the student can demonstrate the existence of a special circumstance. 

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office Director and/or Financial Aid and Scholarships Counselors must complete the verification process on the student’s FAFSA prior to exercising professional judgment, regardless of whether the application was selected for verification by the Central Processing System (CPS) or by the institution.

Procedure:

The student must submit a written request for professional judgment/special circumstance review to his or her Financial Aid Counselor. Clarkson College Financial Aid Counselors will review the student’s request, which will either be approved or denied. In a situation where the counselors do not agree, the decision majority wins. In the event of a tie, an external representative from the Enrollment and Retention Division will review the documentation and serve as the tiebreaker. Within five (5) business days, the student’s Financial Aid Counselor will notify the student in writing of the decision. The student will also be notified of the appeals process at that time.  

The student may appeal to the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships if the request is denied. The financial aid professional judgment/special circumstance appeal process does not fall under the College’s grievance policy; therefore, in accordance with the HEA, the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships’ decision is final.

Academic Policies and Procedures