Federal regulations provide financial aid administrators with the authority to use their discretion or professional judgment to adjust, on a case-by-case basis, with sufficient documentation, the data elements used on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that impact federal student aid eligibility, to better reflect a family’s ability to pay for college.  Professional Judgement can also be utilized to change dependency status and/or cost of attendance.

Categories of Appeals

Special Circumstances:

Income Loss/Changes or Excessive Medical Expenses, Post-Secondary Educational Expenses

This type of an appeal is most often utilized by students when financial circumstances change, and those changes impact you and/or your family’s ability to contribute to your education.

On a case-by-case basis and with proper documentation, Financial Aid Offices have the discretion to adjust the data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that impacts a student’s federal student aid eligibility. Such changes are meant to provide a more accurate assessment of a student’s family’s ability to contribute to the cost of education.

Examples Include:

• Loss of employment
• Change in financial situation due to 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)
• Death of custodial parent (if the deceased parent’s income was included on the FAFSA)
• Death of Spouse for Independent student (if spouse’s income was included on the FAFSA)
• Loss of child support (changes can only be made if child support was included on the FAFSA)
• Unusual or uninsured medical expenses (the FAFSA already allows for a certain percentage of income protection allowance related to medical expenses)
• Catastrophic loss, such as a natural disaster
• Deduction of one-time payment (e.g., retirement, payouts, severance pay)
• Half-time enrollment of a sibling or parent

Example Documentation required: (Not all inclusive)  

• Copy of termination or lay-off notice
• Last paystub(s)
• W-2 form
• Leave and Earnings Statement(s)
• Unemployment benefit notice
• Birth or death certificate
• Divorce decree
• Proof of Enrollment and Anticipated Out-of-Pocket Educational Expenses

Cost of Attendance (COA) Adjustment Appeal

When additional education-related expenses beyond a student’s standard COA are incurred, they may request a COA adjustment by completing a Professional Judgment Form. COA adjustments are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and are subject to federal and University policies.

The cost of attendance, also known as the budget, includes tuition, fees, books, supplies, housing, food, travel and estimated personal expenses.  Federal regulations only permit increases to the budget for educational-related expenses incurred during the current academic year.

Examples for a COA Appeal Include:

• Tuition and/or fees exceeding your standard COA (this generally relates to those taking courses at another institution in addition to CU academic load)
• Single room charge
• Course, lab, program, or fees exceeding your standard COA
• One-time cost for the purchase of a computer and/or mandatory course software, purchased during the aid year
• Childcare or dependent care costs not covered by a third party. Only expenses incurred while you are in class AND your spouse/significant other (when applicable) is unavailable to provide care will be considered
• Travel costs exceeding your standard COA

 Examples of what DOES NOT qualify as a reason for review:

• Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education
• Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification
• Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
• The student demonstrates total self-sufficiency
• Year to year fluctuations in income
• Credit card or other personal debts
• Standard living expenses
• Vacation expenses
• All other discretionary expenses

Unusual Circumstances:

Dependency Appeal

Documentation is critical and must support the reason for such an appeal. In almost all cases, documentation should originate from a third party with knowledge of the unusual circumstances of the student.   Students that are Provisionally Independent will be utilizing this appeal and must complete the process, and then be determined to be independent by a financial aid administrator to be eligible for federal student aid as an independent student.   If an appeal is approved, you do not need to provide further documentation throughout your enrollment.  You only need contact our office if your family circumstances change.

Financial Aid Administrators have the authority on a case-by-case basis to change a student’s status from dependent to independent involving unusual cases that result in the dissolution of the family unit.

The U.S. Department of Education has provided guidance regarding situations that that do not merit a dependency override.

Examples for a Dependency Appeal Include:

• Abandonment by parents
• An abusive family environment threatening a student’s health/safety
• Not being able to locate parents
• Incarceration or institutionalization of both parents
• Parents lacking the physical or mental capacity to raise the child
• Parents hospitalized for an extended period
• An unsuitable household (e.g., child removed from the household and placed in foster care)
• Married student’s spouse dies, or student gets divorced

Examples that Do Not Merit a Dependency Appeal Include:

• Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education
• Parents are unwilling to compete the FAFSA and/or provide required documentation for verification
• Parents do not claim the student for tax purposes
• Student lives apart from parent
• Student works and is financially self sufficient

To Request a Professional Judgment

• You must have a completed FAFSA submitted before an appeal can be considered
• Requesting an appeal does not guarantee that you will be granted one or that you will receive additional funds.
• If you have a special circumstance, please complete the Professional Judgment Form under APPEALS AND PJ Forms or if you have an unusual circumstance, please complete a Request for Independent Status under OTHER FORMS.  Provide an explanation detailing the qualifying reason (s) you are requesting an appeal to be considered for review. Provide all supporting documentation.
• Appeals are typically reviewed within 1-10 business days after submission. During busy processing times (such as the summer), it may take longer for your appeal to be evaluated.
• If selected for FAFSA verification, and you have a special circumstance, you much complete verification before your appeal can be reviewed.

Notification Process:

The Financial Aid Office will contact you via CU email regarding the status of your request for an appeal. Professional Judgment decisions are final. A student cannot appeal to the university president or to the U.S. Department of Education. Congress delegated the authority to make professional judgment adjustments to the data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the college financial aid office and their assigned staff.