PJ—A Pathway, Not a Hurdle Connie Brown and Lydia Gaona Texas Tech University Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Why make professional judgements? To help aid administrators better assess the ability of a family to pay for postsecondary education Weighing a family’s situation both objectively (and subjectively) allows an aid administrator to determine a reasonable amount that a family can provide for college expenses PJ’s are an important factor in the student financial aid delivery system ED recognizes the role of PJ by noting in the FAFSA “…if you or your family has unusual circumstances…” Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

What are the hurdles? Are staff trained to look for effective PJ approaches? Are you using income that best reflects the student’s current situation? Are you asking for more information than you need to make a determination? Do you have policies and procedures established to address special circumstances? How do you process applications in your office? Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Where can professional judgement be exercised? Dependency status Need analysis: calculating expected family contribution (EFC) calculation of the cost of attendance (COA) Denial or reduction of Direct Loan or Direct Plus eligibility Direct Unsubsidized Loan eligibility for a dependent student without parental FAFSA data SAP Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

TTU’s system for managing PJ’s—the Hammer! One person reviews—it’s a system Special circumstance email Cover sheet (check list) Student assistant Spread sheet Special circumstance grant funds Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Tough decisions—let’s discuss! Prior prior year Hurricane Harvey and other natural disasters Other difficult circumstances Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Thank you! Texas Tech University Connie Brown ~ Lydia Gaona connie.brown@ttu.edu lydia.gaona@ttu.edu 806.834.4907 806.834.1719 Texas Tech University