Have special circumstances keeping you from attending college? Appeal financial aid on September 30 at RCC
The US Department of Education is requiring all colleges across the country to that received HEERF III (Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund) package to provide direct outreach to all financial aid applicants who may have been financially impacted by COVID-19.
In response to that mandate, Robeson Community College will be providing professional judgements on September 30 during the college admissions event “Fall into College.”
“Since the pandemic has impacted so many people in a variety of ways, we wanted to set this time aside to bring attention to what we are doing and how we are trying to help people get the funding they need and qualify for to get an education and get their degree,” said Zilma Lopes, director of financial aid at RCC.
What is a professional judgement?
A professional judgement is essentially an appeal of a student’s financial aid package.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 provides college financial aid administrators with the authority to make adjustments when a student’s ability to pay for college is impacted by unusual circumstances or situations. Financial aid administrators can provide a professional judgement on a case-by-case basis and with adequate documentation to make adjustments to the data elements of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) that impact an individuals Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to gain a more accurate assessment of a family’s ability to contribute towards the cost of a student’s education.
The current FAFSA uses information from the last two years, and this year that means taking into account an individual’s 2019 federal tax returns.
“Since this reported income is from before the pandemic, the FAFSA may be not be truly reflective of a family’s ability to pay for college during the academic year,” said Zilma Lopes, the director of financial aid at RCC. “For individuals who meet the stated criteria, the college will recalculate their FAFSA/financial aid based on current financial circumstances, not upon 2019 tax returns.”
What are the most common reasons for requesting a professional judgement?
“Most come from job losses, which directly impact your income,” said Zilma. “But any financial hardships, especially due to COVID-19 would qualify and that could include loss of employment or experiencing a significant decrease in income.”
She adds, “If a student cannot attend on September 30th, they can come by our office anytime to get a professional judgement to appeal their financial aid. Our doors are always open and we want to help as many students as possible during this pandemic.”
“Fall into College” will be held in the Student Center, Building 13 from 8am – 6pm. For more information, please visit the college website at www.robeson.edu.
