Am I Eligible?

Basic requirements

To receive aid from the federal student aid programs discussed in this guide, you must meet certain criteria.

Financial need

Except for some loan programs, you must show that you have financial need, according to our requirements. See "Financial Need and Expected Family Contribution (EFC) below.

Education requirements

• You must demonstrate by one of the following means that you are qualified to enroll in postsecondary education:



• Have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) certificate.



• Pass an approved ability-to-benefit (ATB) test. If you don't have a diploma or GED, you can take an approved ATB test to determine whether you can benefit from the education offered at that school.



• If you don't have a high school diploma or its equivalent, you may become eligible to receive federal student aid if the institution you plan on attending determines you have the ability to benefit from post secondary education if you satisfactorily complete six credit hours or the equivalent coursework toward a degree or certificate offered by the institution. You will, however, be ineligible to receive aid while earning the six credit hours.



• Meet other standards your state established and that we have approved.



• Complete a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law.


• You must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program.



• You must meet satisfactory academic progress standards set by the postsecondary school you are or will be attending.



• You might be able to receive aid for distance education courses as long as they are part of a recognized certificate or degree program.

Intellectual disabilities

Students with intellectual disabilities can receive federal student aid under the Federal Pell Grant Program, FSEOG Program and Federal Work-Study Program. To be eligible, you must

• be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a comprehensive transition and postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities at an institution of higher education;



• be maintaining satisfactory progress; and



• meet the other student eligibility criteria

A comprehensive transition and postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities means a degree, certificate, or nondegree program that

• is offered by an institution of higher education;



• is designed to support students with intellectual disabilities who are seeking to continue academic, career and technical, and independent living instruction in order to prepare for gainful employment;



• includes an advising and curriculum structure; and



• requires students with intellectual disabilities to participate on not less than a half-time basis with nondisabled students in (1) regular enrollment in credit-bearing courses, (2) auditing or participating in courses for which the student does not receive regular academic credit, (3) enrollment in noncredit-bearing, nondegree courses, or (4) participation in internships or work-based training.

Children of military personnel killed in Iraq or Afghanistan after Sept. 11, 2001

If your parent or guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after Sept. 11, 2001, you may be eligible for aid if, at the time of the parent's or guardian's death, you were less than 24 years of age or enrolled at least part-time at an institution of higher education. Payments are adjusted if you are enrolled less than full-time.

• Pell Grants: If you are eligible to receive a Pell Grant, it will be determined that you have a zero EFC, which can increase your eligibility for all federal student aid programs and maximize your Pell amount.



• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants: If you are not eligible to receive a Pell Grant you will be eligible to receive this non-need-based grant; however, your EFC will not be changed and therefore neither will your eligibility for any need-based federal student aid. The maximum amount of this grant is the same as the maximum Pell Grant award but may not exceed the cost of attendance.

Legal and other requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.



• You must have a valid Social Security number (SSN) (unless you’re from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia or the Republic of Palau). If you don’t have an SSN, you can find out more about applying for one at www.ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213. TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778.



• When you apply for federal student aid you sign a statement that certifies that you will use federal student aid for educational purposes only. You also certify that you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe a refund on a federal student grant (which could happen if you withdraw from school, for example).



• You must comply with Selective Service registration. If you’re a male aged 18 through 25 and you have not registered you can, at the same time you complete your FAFSA, give the Selective Service System permission to register you by means of the FAFSA. You can also register online at www.ssa.gov or call 1-847-688-6888. TTY users can call 1-847-688-2567.

• Generally, if you have been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid, you will be ineligible for a period of time based on the type and number of convictions. If you answer “Yes” to this question, it is very important that you complete and submit the FAFSA to determine your eligibility. If you are submitting a paper FAFSA, you will be mailed a worksheet to assist you in determining whether your conviction affects your eligibility for federal student aid. If you are applying using FAFSA on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov, you will be provided the electronic version of the same worksheet during your online session. If you need assistance or have any questions on how to answer this question, call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) for help from the Federal Student Aid Information Center. Even if you’re ineligible for federal student aid because of a drug conviction, you should still complete the FAFSA because most schools and states use FAFSA information to award nonfederal aid.
  
  If you have lost federal student aid eligibility due to a drug conviction, you can regain eligibility if you pass two unannounced drug tests conducted by a drug rehabilitation program that complies with criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education.



• You have limited eligibility for federal student aid while you’re incarcerated. Generally, you’re only eligible for a Pell Grant and then only if you’re NOT incarcerated in a federal or state penal institution. Check with the financial aid office at the school you plan on attending.

Match requirements

When you apply for federal student aid, we verify some of your information with certain federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration (for verification of Social Security numbers and U.S. citizenship status) and the Department of Homeland Security (to verify Alien Registration numbers). If the information doesn’t match, the discrepancy must be resolved before you can receive federal student aid. We also check your information against our National Student Loan Data System^SM), to verify that you haven’t defaulted on your federal student loan, haven’t received an overpayment on a federal grant or a Federal Perkins Loan and haven’t borrowed more than the total limit allowed. We also check your information against Veterans Affairs if you answer that you are a veteran. Most males between the ages of 18 and 25 must register with Selective Service in order to be eligible for federal student aid, so we check with this agency as well.

Financial need and Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Aid for most of our programs is awarded based on financial need (except for unsubsidized Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans and TEACH Grants). The EFC is a measure of your family's financial strength and resources that should be available to help pay for your education.

The EFC is calculated from the information you report on the FAFSA and according to a formula established by law. Your family's income (taxable and untaxed) and assets are considered in determining your EFC. Your family size and the number of family members who will be attending a college or career school are also considered. Your EFC will appear on the Student Aid Report (SAR) you receive after you file your FAFSA. To determine your financial need for federal student aid programs (except for an unsubsidized Stafford Loan), your school subtracts the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from your cost of attendance.

The school uses federal grants and other financial aid to meet your financial need. Because the EFC formula must be applied to each family’s financial information, we cannot tell you here whether you will be eligible for federal student aid or estimate how much aid you might receive. If you’d like to get an estimate of you financial aid award use FAFSA4caster at www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov. The information you submit with FAFSA4caster can be used to populate some of your FAFSA on the Web when you’re ready to apply for aid (see page 10). But remember, to find out exactly what you will be eligible to receive, you must apply for financial aid. If you want to see how the EFC formula works, you can get detailed worksheets from our Web site at www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov/pubs. Click on the year under "The EFC Formula" or you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

After you receive your SAR, you will also receive an award letter from the school(s) listed on your FAFSA that offer you admission. Contact the financial aid office at the school(s) that sent you an award letter if you have questions about your student financial aid award.

Unusual family circumstances

The EFC formula is basically the same for all applicants, but there is some flexibility. Your financial aid administrator (FAA) can adjust the cost of attendance or the information used to calculate your EFC to take into account your unusual circumstances. These circumstances could include your family’s unusual medical expenses, tuition expenses or unemployment. The FAA You will have to provide documentation to support any adjustments. For example, for the 2009-10 award year, financial aid administrators may use the letter from the state unemployment agency or other evidence that a student is receiving unemployment benefits to document the loss of income from work. The FAA’s decision as to whether to make changes is final and can’t be appealed to us.

The following are several additional examples of unusual circumstances that the FAAs may consider as factors in making an adjustment in the Expected Family Contribution calculation or to the cost of attendance. These examples are:

• nursing home expenses not covered by insurance;



• dependent care costs;



• a student or family member who is a dislocated worker; and



• a change in the student’s housing status results in homelessness.