Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
American Rescue Plan (ARP) Professional Judgment
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021 to provide emergency assistance to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This represents the third stream of funding appropriated, with approximately $39.6 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. As part of this third stream of funding (HEERF III), provisions were made requiring Financial Aid officials to conduct direct outreach to financial aid applicants to inform them of the opportunity for a Professional Judgement Adjustment appeal.
A Professional Judgement appeal allows for a financial aid adjustment due to the recent unemployment of a direct family member (mother or father) of a dependent student or the recent unemployment of an independent student, or other circumstance related to COVID-19. This refers to a significant change in current 2021 or 2020 income compared to a student’s required 2019 tax data reported on their 2021/2022 FAFSA.
Please note that students with an Expected Family Contribution of $0 on their 21/22 FAFSA and Graduate students will not qualify for Professional Judgement at this time.
Only Students who receive Federal Aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (Grants/ Direct Student Loans) may qualify for Professional Judgement.
Other circumstances, besides unemployment, that could be considered are:
- Involuntary loss of income due to reduced hours or shutdowns as the result of COVID-19 during 2020 or 2021
- Loss of income effective 2020 or 2021 due to disability
- Significant medical expenses not covered by insurance during 2020 or 2021 as the result of COVID-19
If you feel you qualify for a Professional Adjustment, please complete the questionnaire below. The Financial Aid Department will contact you if your Special Conditions qualify for review in accordance with Federal, State, and Institutional guidelines. If so, you will be required to submit a Special Conditions Application along with supporting documentation for processing.
The Financial Aid Department understands that many circumstances impact a family’s ability to contribute to a student’s education. Our office will assist you to understand your options and determine if any additional aid may be available based on your circumstances. Please note that not all circumstances will be eligible for consideration, and not all appeals will result in additional financial assistance. Please watch your UNOH email for additional information and/or your determination.
Office of Financial Aid · nsufinaid@nsula.edu · (318) 357-5961
