English
Close

RESOURCES that MAY BE AVAILABLE TO YOU

Did you know that Oral Roberts University has resources to help make your education affordable and accessible? Especially in the wake of COVID-19, we understand that so many have been affected and we want to help by providing you the information needed about available financial help.

This page will be updated with more information about additional financial support opportunities as it becomes available. If you haven't submitted an application for the upcoming semester yet, get started here.


1. Professional Judgement

If you are an undergraduate student and the income you reported on your FAFSA is dramatically higher than your current income due to job loss, reduction in hours, or medical emergency, you may be eligible for a special review of your FAFSA information called Professional Judgement.

The FAFSA uses a past year's financial data because it is easily verifiable (e.g. taxes and W-2s). However, sometimes changes in employment, marital status, or health can make past financial data become outdated for the purpose of estimating current year financial data. Professional Judgment (PJ) may be utilized for special circumstances that the FAFSA does not take into consideration. For example, loss of income, high medical bills, and extenuating family situations. Professional Judgment is the process of having the ORU Financial Aid Office override FAFSA data for federally-approved situations using reasonable methods for adjusting the FAFSA data inputs. No changes are made to the FAFSA's EFC formula.

Professional Judgment is also used for students who are considered Dependent by FAFSA but have unusual family circumstances that allow the ORU Financial Aid Office to determine the student is Independent for FAFSA. Dependency Override situations include abusive parents, incapacitated parents, and other sensitive family situations.  Dependency override adjustments are rare so a follow-up questionnaire may be requested, and full documentation is required to be considered for approval. 

Professional Judgment Petitions can only be obtained after first submitting a FAFSA for the applicable school year, even if the FAFSA will be unofficial or rejected as a result of not having a Dependency Override processed yet, for example. If your EFC is already $0, only a Dependency Override PJ Petition would be considered. Also, any PJ Petition for the fall semester should be fully documented before the end of May 1. The further after May that a PJ situation occurs, the less likely it will be considered for the current school year. However, the financial situation may be accounted for on a following year's FAFSA. See priority deadlines below.

If you have already submitted your FAFSA, you may inquire about your eligibility for Professional Judgment by completing this form.  If determined eligible for an adjustment, you will be sent a petition to complete for requesting additional funds, and a list of documentation to include.  Once you submit the form and accompanying documentation, your information will be reviewed and the Financial Aid Office for an adjustment using the information you provided.  Please allow two weeks after documentation is complete for processing of PJ adjustments.

You can inquire about this process by sending a detailed synopsis of the income differences along with your ORU ID and contact information to ORUFinaid@oru.edu. The ORU Professional Judgement specialist will respond to let you know if you meet initial qualifying standards and what other documentation may be needed.

Email Us

2. Verification

To provide relief to millions of students and colleges facing challenges and barriers resulting from the ongoing national emergency, the Department of Education is focusing this award year’s effort strictly on identity and fraud.

If you were previously notified that you had been selected for the federal verification process, the number of documents you must submit may have already been reduced or waived entirely.

Review your Account in VISION

3. HEERF III Funding 

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) has made some additional grants available from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III), in the form of emergency financial aid grants to eligible ORU students. The Act designates that the funds allocated for grants to students must be used by the student for eligible expenses under a student’s federal cost of attendance, such as tuition, fees, food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care (Eligible Expenses). Click here for COVID quarterly reports.

 

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Phone Email

Take the next step
toward your career.

VIRTUAL TOURCONNECT WITH A COUNSELORAPPLY NOW