Basic Eligibility Criteria for Federal Student Aid

Our general eligibility requirements are that you must:

• Demonstrate financial need (for most programs);
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen;
• Have a valid Social Security number (with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau);
• Be registered with Selective Service, if you’re a male (you must register between the ages of 18 and 25);
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program;
• Be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Direct Loan Program funds;
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress in college or career school;
• Sign the certification statement on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) stating that you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a federal student grant and you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes; and
• Show you’re qualified to obtain a college or career school education by
  • Having a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate;
  • Completing a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law (or—if state law does not require a homeschooled student to obtain a completion credential—completing a high school education in a homeschool setting that qualifies as an exemption from compulsory attendance requirements under state law); or
  • Enrolling in an eligible career pathway program and meeting one of the “ability-to-benefit” alternatives described below.