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Eligibility Requirements

Who is eligible to receive financial aid?
To be eligible to receive federal and state student aid, you must:

  1. Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
  2. Have a valid Social Security Number (unless you are from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau).
  3. Be registered with Selective Service if you are male and 18 to 25 years of age.
  4. Have a high school diploma or GED Certificate, or pass an exam approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
  5. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program.
  6. Not have a drug conviction for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid (such as grants, loans, or work-study).
  7. Not be in default on any educational loan, or owe a refund or repayment on any educational grant.
  8. Demonstrate financial need (except for unsubsidized Stafford Loans).

To maintain your eligible status, you must also:

What if I'm not a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen?
There are still some sources of aid for you. Your country's government, or its embassy in the United States, may have aid for students. You can also look into applying for scholarships.

Can I get financial aid for my remedial classes?
Well, that depends. You can receive financial assistance for remedial coursework if admission to a particular program has been confirmed, and the remedial coursework is necessary to complete the program. You are limited to 24 credit hours of qualified remedial coursework.

However, you cannot receive financial assistance for remedial coursework if your admission into a program is based on the completion of remedial work.

Want to know what kind of aid you may be eligible for?
Before applying for financial aid, see what you may be eligible for by filling out the FAFSA4caster! The FAFSA4caster will help you get an early start on the financial aid process by:

  • Providing you with an early estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid.
  • Giving you an experience similar to FAFSA on the Web.
  • Allowing you to transfer all of your FAFSA4caster data to FAFSA on the Web once you are ready to apply for aid.
  • Increasing your knowledge of the financial aid process, and providing information about other sources of aid.

FAFSA4caster FAFSA4caster

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