Admissions
Professional Judgment
Special Circumstances
Overview: Students may apply for their FAFSA to be processed as a professional judgement under special circumstances. Special circumstances include but are not limited to financial situation changes such as job loss or job change. During the special circumstances process, Student Financial Services staff will adjust components of student eligibility such as the cost of attendance and/or Student Aid Index calculations.
Deadline: Students will have 60 days after student’s initial request to submit all required documentation to the Student Financial Services office for processing.
Unusual Circumstances
Overview: Students may apply for their FAFSA to be processed as a professional judgement under unusual circumstances. Unusual circumstances (also known as a dependency override) include but are not limited to instances in which a student is unable to contact their parent or where contacting their parent poses a risk to the student. Other examples include human trafficking, being legally granted refugee or asylum status, parent abandonment or estrangement and parent incarceration. Once approved, Unusual Circumstances determinations will carry forward from award year to award year unless the student notifies Rochester University of a change in circumstances or Rochester University is aware of conflicting information.
Deadline: Students will have 60 days after student’s initial request to submit all required documentation to the Student Financial Services office for processing.
Unsubsidized Loans Only
Overview: Students may apply for their FAFSA to be processed as eligible to receive only Unsubsidized Loans. Cases that warrant this processing include but are not limited to the student’s parent has stopped support or the parent refuses to file and consent to the FAFSA.
Deadline: Students will have 60 days after student’s initial request to submit all required documentation to the Student Financial Services office for processing.
