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Professional Judgment Appeal

Professional Judgment Appeal

We know that financial situations can change, and the FAFSA—based on tax information from two years ago—may not reflect your family’s current reality. If you’ve experienced a significant change, you can request a Professional Judgment Appeal.

Federal regulations allow us to review your situation and, with proper documentation, adjust certain FAFSA data elements. While not all appeals result in changes to your financial aid, these adjustments may impact your Student Aid Index (SAI) and provide a more accurate assessment of your financial need.

If your financial situation has changed, take a moment to review the process and timelines below to determine if a Professional Judgment Appeal is the right step for you. If so, complete the Professional Judgment Appeal Form and submit it with the required documentation using the link below.

Professional Judgment Processing Timelines:

The timelines below indicate which aid year your Professional Judgment Appeal applies to. If you are requesting an adjustment for the upcoming aid year (2025-2026), which begins in Fall 2025, follow the timeline for that year. If you need an adjustment for the current aid year (2024-2025), refer to the corresponding timeline. 

Carefully follow the timelines for the appropriate aid year, as each contains important details that can impact the processing of your appeal.

2025-2026 Professional Judgment Appeals:

  • Students wishing to submit a 2025-2026 Professional Judgment Appeal should contact our office by email at finaid@vt.edu or by phone at 540-231-5179 to discuss the circumstances of your appeal. If it is determined that an appeal would be an option for you, we will enable this option for you in the Financial Aid Document Uploader.
  • We opened for processing 2025-2026 Professional Judgment Appeals on March 15th. 
    • Priority Date for Processing: April 1st in order to guarantee a response by May 1st (complete documentation must be submitted)
    • Appeals received after April 1st will be processed in the order they are received. 

    2024-2025 Professional Judgment Appeals:

  • Students wishing to submit a 2024-2025 Professional Judgment Appeal are strongly encouraged to do so as soon as possible. We cannot process appeals after the academic year ends in May, unless you are enrolled in summer courses.
  • To submit an appeal, please contact our office by email at finaid@vt.edu or by phone at 540-231-5179, and we will enable this option for you in the Financial Aid Document Uploader.

How to Complete a Professional Judgment Appeal:

 

  1. Contact us by phone at 540-231-5179, email at finaid@vt.edu, or stop by our office to discuss the Professional Judgment Appeal and determine if it’s the right option for your situation. We will then enable the option for you to submit the appeal through the Financial Aid Document Uploader.
  2. Complete the Professional Judgment Appeal form 
  3. Gather all required supporting documentation listed on the appeal form related to your change in circumstances.
  4. Submit your completed appeal and documentation via the Financial Aid Document Uploader by the priority date for the fastest processing.
  5. Monitor your email closely in case our office needs additional information to complete your appeal. 

 

Examples of Situations that May Qualify for a Professional Judgment Appeal include:

  • Death of a student’s parent or spouse
  • The family has incurred extraordinary medical/dental expenses
  • The student or the student’s parents have separated or divorced
  • The student’s or parent(s)’ income has been significantly reduced in the current year
  • The student or parent(s) no longer receives recurring income, such as child support, taxable social security, alimony, or other sources of income
  • The parent or student has received payment of non-recurring income  (e.g. severance package, bonus, etc...) which are unavailable for educational expenses.
  • Proceeds from the voluntary or involuntary foreclosure, forfeiture, bankruptcy, or involuntary liquidation of a family farm or business assets that inflate income and/or assets.

Please note: Your situation may still qualify for a Professional Judgment Appeal even if it is not listed above. If you would like to discuss your circumstances, please contact our office at finaid@vt.edu or 540-231-5179.

Who Reviews My Professional Judgment Appeal?

Appeals will be reviewed by a committee of University Scholarships and Financial Aid Staff. Students should monitor their Virginia Tech email closely after submitting appeals, in case additional information is requested by the committee.

Even if there has been a significant change in your family’s financial situation, a Professional Judgment Appeal does not guarantee an adjustment to your financial aid. Each appeal is considered on a case-by-case basis based on the documentation you provide to our office.

Please note: We understand that financial challenges can be difficult, and we are committed to reviewing each appeal with care and consideration. However, decisions made by the committee are final and cannot be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education.