Professional Judgement Appeals

We understand that there may be circumstances that impact your ability to pay for college, and these may not always be clear in your initial financial aid application. Maybe you or your parent's have experienced a change in income since the application was filed. You may have additional educational expenses that have not been included in your financial aid budget. Maybe you have changed your housing plan. If your financial circumstances changed after you filed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or CA Dream Act Application, you may want to consider filing an appeal with Ventura College.

The Financial Aid staff may be able to adjust the following if your appeal is approved:

Changes in income
One-time educational costs
Housing changes
Changes in dependency status

Deadlines

Please refer to the Important Dates website for deadline dates. Some funding may be limited so try to submit your appeal as early as possible.

EVALUATION PROCESS

Appeals are typically reviewed within 2 weeks of submission. During busy processing times such as the summer or the beginning of the semester, it may take longer for your appeal to be evaluated.
Once the review is completed,
- If your appeal is approved you will receive a revised financial aid notification via email
- If your appeal is not approved, you will receive an appeal follow up email notifying you of the reason(s) it was not approved.

Types and Reasons for Appealing

This appeal is used to document changes in income from one tax year to the next tax year or changes in the most current year. This may be the result of loss of income or employment, separation or divorce, or death of a parent. These are some examples and all appeals will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Appeals can be accessed and submitted via the online financial aid portal.

In some cases, the unusual expenses you incur during an academic year may be considered in determining the amount of your financial aid eligibility. A Financial Aid Specialist will evaluate your expenses and may make changes to your financial aid awards.

Examples of additional expenses include: Medical, Dental, or Vision Care Expenses; Car Repair Expenses; Excessive Mileage; Child Care; Books and Supplies in Excess of Standard limits; and/or One-Time Computer Expense.

Appeals must include receipts, billing statements, or other forms of documentation that can verify the expense incurred.

Sometimes students who do not meet the federal criteria for independent status wish to be considered as an independent student. The dependency override appeal process allows a student with mitigating circumstances to appeal so they might be considered independent, even though they do not meet any of the independent student criteria on the financial aid applications. It is highly advised that you meet with a Financial Aid Specialist about your situation prior to submitting this appeal.

Dependency override status must be renewed each year to confirm a student remains eligible for this special consideration.

What if I don’t have special circumstances, but my parents refuse to help me pay for college and won’t provide their information?

Unfortunately, a parent’s refusal to assist a student with their college expenses is not sufficient to warrant a Dependency Override. Federal financial aid applicants who are considered a dependent student and their parents did not provide information on the FAFSA application may be eligible for an Unsubsidized Loan.

Log into your MyVcccd portal, then scroll down to Tools and select Online Financial Aid Account.

Financial Aid, Online and Financial Aid account button

Go to the Manage Request Button

Select the type of appeal you would like to request. Follow all the instructions and upload all supporting documents with your appeal.

Deadlines

EVALUATION PROCESS

Types and Reasons for Appealing

Projected Year Income Appeal

Student Budget or Additional Expenses Appeal

Dependency Override

How to request and submit an Appeal

Share