Professional Judgment Review (Financial Aid Eligibility)
Pacific Northwest University (PNWU) Office of Financial Aid could conduct reviews of graduate student federal aid eligibility in a process called professional judgment to determine if they qualify for an increase in their Cost of Attendance and additional aid due to certain circumstances. Students must first complete a FAFSA and receive a financial aid offer prior to submitting a Professional Judgement review request by submitting a “Budget Revision Form” associated with your particular program of study.
What Is Professional Judgment?
Professional judgement refers to the discretion that federal regulations give to financial aid administrators to adjust, 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 to receive.
Professional judgment allows PNWU to adjust a student’s expected family contribution for educational expenses and/or standard cost of attendance (COA) budget, 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 reviewed by a committee.
Guidelines for Professional Judgment Review
PNWU, in accordance with federal regulations, establishes a standard student budget for all aid recipients based on expected tuition and other campus fees, average housing costs, average book and supply expenses, and average transportation costs for commuting students withing Yakima and for rotation site. For DO(COM)3 and DO(COM)4 a special budget is set for the Alaska rotation site upon request to finaid@pnwu.edu. Adjustments may be made for the following documented circumstances:
- Childcare for dependent children
- Cost that may be considered include childcare or daycare expenses for children younger than school-aged or requiring special needs as documented by a medical provider. Increases are not permitted for the costs of food and shelter for dependents. The childcare provider MUST be licensed and have a Tax ID.
- Through federal student loan programs, we cannot consider the cost of childcare for a married student whose spouse is an at-home parent. Also, if a student is applying or receiving the child-care subsidy, they are not eligible for this adjustment for “In-home care” by a nanny or service is not eligible.
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- For each dependent receiving childcare: Name, age, and relationship.
- For each child-care service provider: name, address, weekly/monthly cost, dates of the time period when service is/will be used, and total actual or estimated cost for the academic year.
- A billing statement or invoice for each provider.
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- Travel expenses
- Travel expenses may be considered as it relates to academic studies.
- Automobile tires/repairs not classified as routine maintenance
- Routine maintenance is expenditures made for the regular upkeep of a vehicle, such as refill liquids most frequently used (wiper fluid, power steering fluid or transmission flush, radiator coolant, motor oil, and brake fluid, etc.); regular oil changes; swap out parts that are worn, such as brake pads, drive belts, timing belts, spark plugs, and air and fluid filters; tire rotation; check car’s belts and hoses for damage; check power brakes, power steering, and radiator hoses when vehicle is close to 10,000 miles.
- Allowances may be made based on documented expenses or mileage based on the Washington state rate per mile. Expenses may include air fare, lodging, and other transportation (upon arrival to destination).
- Only the individual student’s travel expenses may be considered. Travel adjustments will not be considered for student family or dependents.
- Our office has the right to request to see boarding passes if the adjustment is approved. If travel did not occur, or the student is not able to produce boarding passes, the travel adjustment to the student’s COA will be removed, and the student’s fede3ral funds will be returned in the amount of the requested travel. The student will thus be responsible for reimbursing their school account in that amount.
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- If related to rotation expenses, please submit the budget revision form associated with rotations along with the standard budget revision form.
- Documentation showing travel expenses (e.g., flight and lodging information)
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- Documented special needs or disability expenses
- Documented special needs or disability expenses that may be considered include special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided by other agencies.
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- For each person receiving care: name, age, and relation
- Proof of specific disability from agency or provider, and documentation of expenses, such as receipts or statement of services.
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- Documented special needs or disability expenses that may be considered include special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided by other agencies.
- Computer purchase/Repair
- The maximum allowance for purchase of a computer is $1,000.
- Purchase of software, printer supplies, online serve fees, etc. will be assumed to be covered in the existing COA Allowance for books and supplies.
- We cannot approve adjustment for purchases made by others on your behalf.
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- If purchase is beginning of the program receipt of purchase.
- If purchase is to replace a computer:
- Statement from IT Department that the computer is not repairable
- Receipt of purchase
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- Medical or dental expenses not covered by insurance
- Documentation of significant out-of -pocket medical or dental expenses not covered by insurance during the current year and paid by the student may be submitted for consideration.
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- Short description of each medical expense, the amount requested, name and relation of the person receiving the care, and whether insurance has been filed.
- Letter from health-care provider that documents the procedure/treatment
- Documentation that the treatment is medically necessary
- Date of the procedure/treatment
- Original expense with the patient’s name, date of service, and the medical/dental provider contact information
- Amount paid by insurance and any other amount to be subtracted from the balance due
- Estimated or actual cost to the student (the amount not covered by insurance). The documentation mush clearly delineate the payments (amount and date) made by the student from payments made by insurance.
- Estimate from provider for services to be performed within the academic year (e.g., planned medical procedures)
- Short description of each medical expense, the amount requested, name and relation of the person receiving the care, and whether insurance has been filed.
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- Documentation of significant out-of -pocket medical or dental expenses not covered by insurance during the current year and paid by the student may be submitted for consideration.
- Conference or Residency cost
- Conference cost can be considered provided they are required by the department to complete the program of study
- Residency cost will not be considered unless they are part of the didactic rotation program.
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- Conference
- Conference fees
- Travel expenses
- Residency
- Rotation budget revision form along with standard budget revision form
- Conference
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- Special circumstances
- Our office may also consider other special circumstances that are not addressed in the other sections above
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- A summary of the circumstance(s)
- Documentation that pertains to the request
- Required information and documentation to be submitted with the “Budget Revision Form”
- Our office may also consider other special circumstances that are not addressed in the other sections above
The following category can only be considered through the use of private student loan programs and not the federal loan programs:
- Medical Insurance Plan family coverage: this increase may be made to the cost of attendance budget when proof of coverage is presented to the Financial Aid Office. Statements and explanations provided by the student for immediate family expenses do not constitute supporting documentation for budget adjustments.
Conditions that do NOT merit COA adjustments include (but are not limited to):
- Automobile or household expenses
- Consumer indebtedness (including but not limited to, auto loans, credit car payments, student loan payments)
- Financial support of a spouse or dependents
- Additional food purchases beyond budget
- Private school enrollment for dependent children or family, afterschool care, summer camps for dependents
Important Notes
- Other institutional or external support must also be reported in order to determine federal aid eligibility.
- Upon submission of the budget revision request and all documentation, students should receive an email from the PNWU Office of Financial Aid in 10 days with our office’s decision on the professional judgement request.
- All requests for the 2024/2025 financial aid year must be received by the PNWU Office of Financial Aid by May 1, 2025, if you are requesting financial aid for the Spring term, with the exception of the program of MSOT. MSOT student may request through the summer term.
Submitting Your Request:
Once you have reviewed the above guidelines and collected the required documentation. Complete the appropriate program’s “Budget Revision Form” and email the form with all supporting documents to finaid@pnwu.edu.