June 2, 2010

Professional Judgment Overview

ED recently announced that, until further notice, the professional judgment guidance in the April 2009 (GEN-09-04) and May 2009 (GEN-09-05) Dear Colleague Letters will remain in effect for the 2010-2011 award year and subsequent award years. The information pertains to exercising professional judgment when determining the eligibility of students for federal student aid.

Need more information about professional judgment?

ED announced the availability of a 50-minute recorded training session that provides financial aid personnel a complete overview of the professional judgment process. The session covers the following topics:

• Statutory basis and rationale for the authority to use professional judgment.
• Types of professional judgment.
• Prohibitions when exercising professional judgment.
• Examination of ED's recent guidance related to professional judgment.

A recording key is not required to view this session and PowerPoint slides and a transcript of the session are also available.