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Professional Judgment for Special Circumstances

Students' financial aid eligiblity is determed by the FAFSA each year. However, the FAFSA requests financial information from two years prior to attending college and circumstances may change over time. A student's cost of attendance may also be different from the estimated cost ICC assumes the average student will incur during the award year. The financial aid process provides for a way to update FAFSA information or adjust cost of attendance to better reflect the financial situation of a student (and/or their family). This process is called 'Professional Judgment.'

Changes to the FAFSA Data

ICC's Office of Student Financial Aid will consider the following basis as a special circumstance warranting review:

• Loss of income 
• Divorce/Separation 
• Death in the family 
• Change of dependents 
• Excessive medical costs 
• Loss of benefits 
• Other elements as determined by the Financial Aid Administrator 

Documentation that may demonstrate the above circumstances may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Letter of termination from employer 
• Proof of unemployment benefits 
• Proof of disability benefits 
• Divorce decree or signed order of separation 
• Death certificate or obituary 
• Birth certificate 
• Receipts, bank statements, or other proof of payment 
• Other documentation deemed acceptable by Financial Aid  Administrator 

Changes to Cost of Attendance

The following may be a basis for review of a student's cost of attendance if the demonstrated cost is greater than the budget allowance estimated by the Office of Student Financial Aid:

• Housing or meals (living expenses) 
• Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment 
• Childcare expenses 
• Disability related expenses 
• Transportation 
• Miscellaneous personal expenses 

Documentation that may demonstrate the above expenses include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Receipts, bank statements, or other proof of payment 
• Proof of anticipated cost (sales listing, invoice, estimate) 
• Other documentation deemed acceptable by Financial Aid  Administrator 

How to Request a Professional Judgment for Special Circumstances

Students should complete the form for either (or both, if applicable) a request to consider changes to their financial circumstances and/or a request to consider changes to the cost of attendance. You can view and download the forms HERE.

Deadline to Request a Professional Judgment for Special Circumstances

​Students must submit requests for Professional Judgment with adequate documentation on or before the last day of classes or the student’s period of enrollment, whichever is later. 

Professional Judgment for Unusual Circumstances

ICC recognizes that some students may be experiencing familial circumstances different from their peers. This may mean a student cannot provide parent information on the FAFSA. The professional judment process allows for the Office of Student Financial Aid to review a student's circumstances, while protecting a student's desire for privacy. This process is referred to as a 'dependency override' or 'request for independent status.' If an unusual circumstance is found to exist for a student, our office may 'override' a student's dependency status on the FAFSA and their aid will be determined as an 'independent' student. These determinations are made on a case-by-case basis. 

Basis for an Unusual Circumstance

Students may be experiencing an unusual circumstance if they are:

• an unaccompanied homeless youth
• self-supporting and at risk of homelessness
• experiencing parental abandonment or estrangement
• have a parent (or parents) who are incarcerated
• legally granted refugee or asylum status
• a victim of human trafficking, as described in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.)

Students are not experiencing an unusual circumstance if:

• Parents refuse to contribute to the student's education 
• Parents will not provide information for the FAFSA or verification  
• Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes 
• Student demonstrates total self sufficiency 

Documenting an Unusual Circumstance

The following is a non-exhaustive list of ways a student may document an unusual circumstance. Students may provide any of the following (students may not be required to submit multiple items): 

• Documented interview between the student and the Financial Aid Administrator
• Court order or official federal or state documentation that the student's parents/legal guardians are incarcerated 
• Submission of jail or prison roster documenting the student’s parents/legal guardian are incarcerated 
• Statements from all three of the following:
  1. The student;
  2. A personal reference familiar with the student's situation; and
  3. A professional reference familiar with the student's situation who provides a written statement in their professional capacity (counselor, teacher, therapist, minister, doctor, attorney, etc.)
• Phone call or written statement from an attorney, guardian ad litem, court appointed special advocate (or similar), or a representative of a TRIO or Gear Up program that confirms the special circumstances and the person’s relationship to the student (effective 2023-24 award year)
• A documented determination of independence made by a Financial Aid Administrator at another institution in the same or prior award year

How to Request a Professional Judgment for an Unusual Circumstance

Students should complete the Request for Independent Status along with any available documentation. You may view and download the forms HERE.

Deadline to Request a Professional Judgment for an Unusual Circumstance

​Students must submit requests for Professional Judgment with adequate documentation on or before the last day of classes or the student’s period of enrollment, whichever is later.