PJ for Graduate

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PJ for Graduate Professional Students
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Professional Judgment (PJ)
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PJ

• Session Objectives
• Introduce the legislature that permits PJs
  Higher Education Act of 1965, As Amended.
• Discuss the best practices for dealing with PJs
  on the Graduate/Professional level based on
  individual cases.

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HEA of 1965, As Amended

• Section 479A DISCRETION OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
  ADMINISTRATORS
• (a) GENERAL.Nothing in this part shall be
  interpreted as limiting the authority of the
  financial aid administrator, on the basis of
  adequate documentation, to make adjustments on a
  case-by-case basis to the cost of attendance or
  the values of the data items required to
  calculate the expected student or parent
  contribution (or both) to allow for treatment of
  an individual eligible applicant with special
  circumstances. However, this authority shall not
  be construed to permit aid administrators to
  deviate from the contributions expected in the
  absence of special circumstances.

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HEA Cont.

• Special circumstances may include tuition
  expenses at
• an elementary or secondary school, medical or
  dental
• expenses not covered by insurance, unusually high
  child
• care costs, recent unemployment of a family
  member or
• an independent student, a family member who is a
• dislocated worker (as defined in section 101 of
  the
• Workforce Investment Act of 1998), the number of
• parents enrolled at least half-time in a degree,
  certificate,
• or other program leading to a recognized
  educational
• credential at an institution with a program
  participation
• agreement under section 487,

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HEA Cont.

• a change in housing status that results in an
  individual
• being homeless (as defined in section 03 of the
• McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act), or other
• changes in a familys income, a familys assets,
  or a
• students status. Special circumstances shall be
• conditions that differentiate an individual
  student from a
• class of students rather than conditions that
  exist across
• a class of students.

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HEA Cont.

• (b) ADJUSTMENTS TO ASSETS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.A
  student financial aid administrator shall be
  considered to be making a necessary adjustment in
  accordance with subsection (a) if
• (1) the administrator makes adjustments excluding
  from family income any proceeds of a sale of farm
  or business assets of a family if such sale
  results from a voluntary or involuntary
  foreclosure, forfeiture, or bankruptcy or an
  involuntary liquidation or
• (2) the administrator makes adjustments in the
  award level of a student with a disability so as
  to take into consideration the additional costs
  such student incurs as a result of such students
  disability.

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Professional Judgment Examples

• Sheila Williams Divinity Students

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Examples Cont.

• Leslie Kaelin Medical Dental Students

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Examples Cont.

• Wendi Owens Law Students

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Bibliography Helpful Websites

• National Association of Student Financial Aid
  Administrators. Professional Judgment in
  Eligibility Determination and Need Analysis.
  NASFAA Monograph Series, No.21 (October 2007).
  Washington, D.C..NASFAA, 2007.
• http//www.nasfaa.org/publications/2007/anmonograp
  h121107.html
• http//www.finaid.org/educators/pj/

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Contact Information

• Leslie Kaelin
• Financial Aid Director
• University of Louisville School of Medicine
• 502-852-5187
• Fax [phone]
• Email lrkael01_at_gwise.louisville.edu
• Wendi C. Owens
• Associate Director of Financial Aid
• University of Miami School of Law
• P.O. Box 248087
• Coral Gables, Fl 33124
• 305-284-3115
• Fax [phone]
• Email wowens_at_law.miami.edu
• Website law.miami.edu/finaid

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Contact Information

• Sheila Williams
• Financial Aid Director
• Duke School of Divinity
• P.O. Box 90969
• Durham, NC  27708-0969
• [phone]
• fax [phone]
• email swilliams_at_div.duke.edu
• website www.divinity.duke.edu