FAFSA Special Circumstances and Professional Judgment 2

Question 1

A student's parent was laid off six months after the FAFSA was submitted. What is the most appropriate first step?

Accepted Answer

Contact the school's financial aid office and request a professional judgment review

Answer

When a significant income change occurs after FAFSA submission, students should contact their school's financial aid office immediately to request a professional judgment review with supporting documentation.

Question 2

What is a 'dependency override' in FAFSA professional judgment?

Accepted Answer

A FAA's decision to treat an otherwise dependent student as independent due to documented unusual circumstances

Answer

A dependency override allows a financial aid administrator to treat a legally dependent student as independent when documented extreme circumstances—such as abandonment or abuse—make it impossible or inappropriate to use parental information.

Question 3

Which situation would most likely qualify a student for a dependency override?

Accepted Answer

The student is a victim of parental abuse and has no contact with their parents

Answer

Dependency overrides are typically granted in cases of documented abuse, abandonment, or similar extreme family breakdowns where contact with or support from parents is genuinely impossible or dangerous.

Question 4

Which of the following expenses might be added to a student's Cost of Attendance through professional judgment?

Accepted Answer

Disability-related educational expenses not covered in the standard COA

Answer

FAAs may add documented disability-related expenses—such as adaptive equipment or personal care attendants—to a student's COA because these are legitimate educational costs not captured in the standard budget.

Question 5

Can a financial aid administrator use professional judgment to increase a student's SAI (Student Aid Index)?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if the student's actual financial resources are greater than what the formula captured

Answer

Professional judgment works in both directions—FAAs may increase the SAI if they have documented evidence that a student's true financial resources are higher than reported on the FAFSA, such as undisclosed assets.

FAFSA Practice Test

FAFSA Practice Test

FAFSA Special Circumstances and Professional Judgment 2