Professional judgment refers to the discretion that federal regulations give to financial aid administrators to make adjustment, on a case-by-case basis, to certain elements of a student’s FAFSA information to account for special circumstances. These adjustments are intended to provide a more accurate assessment of the amount of federal aid a student is eligible for.
Professional judgment allows Savannah State University Office of Financial Aid to adjust a student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) for educational expenses, standard cost of attendance (COA) budget, and/or financial aid dependency status, as determined by federal guidelines. Adjustments submitted for consideration must be documented and reasonable as it pertains to the cost of attendance and are on a case-by-case basis.
Students must first complete a FAFSA and receive a financial aid offer prior to submitting a Professional Judgment review request.
Professional Judgement Appeals
Special Circumstances
The Special Circumstances Appeal allows you to request a change in the input data in the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation due to unique circumstances.
Unusual Circumstances
An Unusual Circumstances Appeal allows you to request a dependency status change from dependent to independent due to unusual circumstances.