Public higher education has long been unaffordable for many students, especially for Black and Latino students who have substantially less wealth, on average, than their White peers. Unfortunately, the economic devastation caused by COVID-19 has only exacerbated these financial inequities for Black and Latino households, who have been hit hardest by unemployment and income loss amid the pandemic. The current economic downturn may not only impact how much Black and Latino families can pay for college, but how much aid they will be awarded for the upcoming year. That's because, in the upcoming cycle, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be based on their tax returns from 2019, i.e., two years prior, and institutions will use that information to calculate how much students can afford to pay out of pocket for college and how much to award them in aid. Under the old policy, which was based on prior-year tax information, students had to wait until their parents filed their taxes before starting the FAFSA application process, which not only produced a lot of stress, but led many to miss the application deadlines for state grants that they would otherwise have been eligible for. But while this new policy lets students get an earlier start on the FAFSA, it also means that, in the case of students whose families have experienced job loss or a financial setback amid the pandemic, institutions could be using pre-COVID-19 income information that no longer reflects students' financial reality. One potential solution is for students to seek a professional judgment from the financial aid office, which can assign a financial aid officer to review their situation and decide whether adjustments to the FAFSA are warranted so students can qualify for more aid. Unfortunately, many students may be unaware that appealing for more aid is even an option. Considering the racial equity implications in mind, this brief analyzes the professional judgment process, its advantages and limitations, how financial aid officers can address racial justice, and provides recommendations on making professional judgment practices more equitable. [The report was funded by the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation.]