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Duration: 4 weeks

This four-week interactive online course will focus on a comprehensive review of the concept of professional judgment. Instruction provided will examine the guiding principles for the use of professional judgment and explore its impact on student eligibility and financial assistance. This course is the perfect learning tool for all levels of financial aid professionals designed to provide the necessary tools and subject matter expertise to understand when professional judgment can and cannot be applied. Live instruction, discussion topics collaboration, and assessments throughout the course will reinforce key concepts. Upon passing the course, you will receive complimentary access to the credential test. 

Course Outline

• Lesson 1 - Overview of Professional Judgment Requirements
• Lesson 2 - Using Professional Judgment in Need Analysis
• Lesson 3 - Using Professional Judgment in Originating Direct Loans
• Lesson 4 - Using Professional Judgment in Satisfactory Academic Progress

Course Structure

This course utilizes multiple teaching and learning methods to ensure participants develop a true understanding of the topic. Live instruction, reading assignments, discussion forums, interactive content, and assessments will reinforce key course concepts. 

As a participant of this course you will be asked to:

• Review educational video lessons
• Complete learning assessments
• Engage in online discussions
• Collaborate with other financial administrators 

Weekly due dates for assessments are included in the course syllabus, and all assessments must be submitted by the course end date. The live instruction classes last approximately one hour and are recorded for on-demand viewing by the course attendee. While attendance in the live sessions is optional, we do encourage you to attend due to the collaborative nature of the courses. Please see the Get-Together schedule below for this course (subject to change at the discretion of the course instructors).

Live Instruction Schedule 

Credential Test Access

Complimentary access to the credential test is provided after successfully completing and passing the course. 

Certified Financial Aid Administrator® Recertification Points

If you are a certified FAA, this course is eligible for eight Certified Financial Aid Administrator® Recertification Points (RPs). After successfully completing and passing the course, the points will automatically be added to your Dashboard.

Course Instructors

Tonya Hsiung, NASFAA U Instructor

Tonya Hsiung joined NASFAA's Training and Regulatory Assistance team in 2019. Prior to joining NASFAA, she was the Senior Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Franklin & Marshall College. She started her financial aid career as a work-study student. She has worked professionally in financial aid for over 18 years. She has experience in several areas of financial aid including verification, federal grants, veterans affairs, direct loans, scholarships, work study, professional judgment, international students, and study abroad. She enjoys teaching financial aid and has previously served as an adjunct instructor for NASFAA U courses in addition to teaching multiple NASFAA Authorized Events. She received a bachelor's degree in Secondary Mathematics Education and Master's Degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a second bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Millersville University. She is married to her husband, Danny, and they have a daughter, Alana.

David Downing, NASFAA U Instructor

David Downing joined NASFAA's Training and Regulatory Assistance team in October 2019. Prior to joining NASFAA, he was the Associate Director of Financial Aid Operations at Arizona State University responsible for oversight of Verification processing and the Federal Pell Grant program. He has worked professionally in financial aid for a little over 16 years also working at Washington State University as the Assistant Director of Communications and at the University of Phoenix in training and content development as well as several other roles. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business with a Minor in Human Resource Management from Western International University and Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training from the University of Phoenix. He has also served as the Communications Chair, Secretary, and volunteered on a variety of committees with the Western Association of Financial Aid Administrators (WASFAA). He lives in Mesa, AZ with his wife, Charity and their two boys, Skyler and Owen.

NASFAA U Course Policies

Attendance Requirements and Due Dates

While there is flexibility built into our online courses to accommodate busy work and life schedules, our courses have weekly due dates, and all assessments must be submitted by the course end date. These due dates will be available in the syllabus, which becomes available on the first day of the course. 

We also strongly encourage participation in the live instruction sessions, but archives will be available for on-demand viewing. 

Technical Requirements

Your online course will be fully browser-based. We strongly recommend using Google Chrome or Firefox as your internet browser for the live instruction meetings. Internet Explorer is not supported. The audio portion of online courses will be delivered directly through your computer's speakers or attached headphones. We recommend you test your computer's ability to stream audio prior to joining the first live session. We encourage you to have a microphone set up so you can participate in our live instruction sessions, although it is not required. 

Accommodations

If you require any special accommodations for this course, please contact us at nasfaa-u@nasfaa.org. Accommodations must be requested at least two weeks prior to the start of the course.

Cancellation

By submitting your registration, you agree to the following cancellation schedule:

• $25 cancellation fee before March 4, 2021
• $50 cancellation fee March 4, 2021 - March 7, 2021

If you do not cancel by 6:00 a.m. ET, March 8, 2021, you will be responsible for the full amount of the registration fee. Medical emergencies will be rescheduled to another available course with a doctor's note.

Requests to cancel must be sent to nasfaa-u@nasfaa.org.

Additional Questions

For additional questions, please review the helpful guide of Online Course Frequently Asked Questions.