Federal regulations allow limited exceptions or adjustments to information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Such exceptions or adjustments, known as “Professional Judgment”. Professional Judgment requests are considered on a case-by-case basis based on supporting documentation of your circumstances. Whether any adjustments are made is at the sole discretion of the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA), and cannot be appealed beyond OSFA.
Areas in which adjustments can be considered:
- Dependency Override: cases of parental abuse, neglect, abandonment, or incarceration
- Income Loss / Changes: loss of employment; changes to household income (either taxed, untaxed, reoccurring, or one-time / lump sum income); divorce, separation, death of household income-earner, etc.
- Excessive Medical Expenses: excessive out of pocket medical expenses that exceed 11% of the tax-filer’s adjusted gross income (AGI)
- Increases in the student’s Cost of Attendance: extraordinary educational expenses incurred by student while attending UGA
The following are areas that generally are not considered:
- Circumstances when the information on the FAFSA has already resulted in an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or Student Aid Index (SAI) of zero or lower
- Loss of overtime or bonus income
- Fluctuations in investment/rental income, self-employment or business income
- Costs and fees associated with bankruptcies, foreclosures or debt collections
- Consumer debt such as credit cards, car payments, mortgages and other loans
- Payments on back taxes owed to the IRS or state department of revenue
- Lottery or gambling winnings or losses
- Family size that includes more than one sibling in college
All correspondence from our office will be through email to the student’s UGAMail account.
Dependency Override (Unusual Circumstance)
- Dependency Override Initial Request (first time submitted to OSFA): cases of parental abuse, neglect, abandonment, or incarceration
- Dependency Override Circumstances that may be considered: cases of parental abuse, neglect, abandonment, or incarceration
- Dependency Override Circumstances that cannot be considered: parent refusal to provide information on the FAFSA (students under the age of 24 are typically considered dependents and require parent information on the FAFSA); parent refusal to provide financial support; student being financially self-sufficient
- Future Supporting Documentation Requests may include: official court documents; two supporting letters of documentation from objective individuals with first-hand / direct knowledge of the situation (i.e. individuals who are not relatives or friends)
- Dependency Override Renewal (approved by OSFA in previous academic years)
- Complete and submit the following online form to OSFA: Professional Judgment Request
Income Loss / Changes or Excessive Medical Expenses (Special Circumstance)
- Income Loss / Changes
- Income Loss / Changes Circumstances that can be considered: loss of employment; changes to household income (either taxed, untaxed, reoccurring, or one-time / lump sum income); divorce, separation, death of household income-earner, etc.
- Income Loss / Changes Circumstances that cannot be considered: credit card debt; car payments; mortgage payments; existing student (or parent) loan debt; other forms of consumer debt
- Future Supporting Documentation Requests may include: Federal Tax-Transcript / Returns; W-2s; final paystubs; official termination / separation letters; official divorce/separation agreement or death certificate
- Excessive Medical Expenses
- Excessive Medical Expense Circumstances that can be considered: excessive out of pocket medical expenses that exceed 11% of the tax-filer’s adjusted gross income (AGI)
- Excessive Medical Expense Circumstances that cannot be considered: medical expenses paid by insurance or others
- Future Supporting Documentation Requests may include: only Explanation of Benefits statement (EOBs) from insurance providers detailing out of pocket medical expenses will be accepted
- Complete and submit the following online form to OSFA: Professional Judgment Request
Cost of Attendance (COA)
- The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of the total amount of your educational expenses for the period of enrollment during the Award Year and is reflected on your financial aid Award. Students who need to make a Cost of Attendance Adjustment please visit our Costs page