Financial Aid Eligibility

Financial Aid Eligibility: Federal financial aid can make an enormous difference in a student's ability to effectively pay for college. The Federal government offers a variety of programs that can mean the difference between scraping by or covering all your expenses. But before you start filling out the applications, it is important to be aware of the eligibility requirements and to make sure you are eligible. Here is a list of the basic educational requirements:

• You must have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) Certificate; OR you must pass an Ability to Benefit (ATB) test administered by the school you wish to attend; OR you must meet other Federal- and State-approved standards; OR you must have completed a state-approved home-school education at the high school level.
• You must be accepted to or enrolled in a program that is eligible under Federal law for financial aid, and program must be for the purpose of granting you a degree, certificate, or other typical academic credential. Correspondence courses or telecommunication classes do not qualify unless they are part of an associate, bachelors, or graduate degree program.
• You must meet your institution's standards for acceptable academic progress toward the degree your program grants. Each school sets its own standards.

Included in the basic set of requirements are some legal and related requirements that must be met. Here is a list of these requirements:

• You must be a citizen of the United States or an eligible noncitizen. Eligible noncitizens include U.S. nationals; U.S. permanent residents; or students granted the designation "Refugee", "Asylum General", "Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending", "Conditional Entrant", or "Parollee".
• You must have a valid Social Security number.
• You must be willing to certify that the money you receive for student aid will only be used for educational expenses. You must also certify that you are not in default on a Federal student loan.
• When required, you must register with Selective Service.
• Some students who have been convicted of selling or possessing illegal drugs may not be eligible for Federal financial aid.
• Students who are incarcerated may be limited to smaller amounts of Federal student aid.

Most Federal financial aid programs award money based on the student's level of financial need. Your need is determined by a number known as Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Using the information on your financial aid application, the financial limits of your family is determined and is translated into a figure. That figure determines your level of need and thus your level of aid. The financial circumstances of each family is considered on a case-by-case basis. After you apply for financial aid, contact the school you'll be attending for more specific information about the level of aid you're eligible for. Your school's financial aid administrator comes up with a financial aid package for every student that is designed to meet their financial needs.

The Federal government applies the same formula to each family's situation to determine each student's Expected Family Contribution. However, special circumstances may, in some cases, warrant adjustment by the school financial aid administrator. Special circumstances could include unusually high medical bills, tuition bills, or unemployment situations. If the reasons are valid and important enough, there is some flexibility built into the system to accommodate students who require it.