Eligibility Requirements - Federal Grant
Federal Aid Eligibility
Eligibility for federal student aid is based on financial need and on several other factors. The financial aid administrator at the college or career school you plan to attend will determine your eligibility.
To receive aid from federal programs, you must:
- demonstrate financial need (except for certain loans).
- have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, meet other standards your state establishes that the Department approves, complete a high school education in a home school setting that is treated as such under state law, or have satisfactorily completed six credit hours or the equivalent course work toward a degree or certificate.
- be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree, diploma or certificate in an eligible program.
- be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
- have a valid Social Security Number.
- maintain satisfactory academic progress once in school.
- certify that you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a federal student grant.
- certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended (HEA) suspends aid eligibility for students who have been convicted under federal or state law of the sale or possession of drugs, if the offense occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving federal student aid (grants, loans, and/or work-study). If you have a conviction(s) for these offenses, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or contact your financial aid advisor to find out how this law applies to you.
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.
Civil Commitment for Sexual Offenses - A student subject to an involuntary civil commitment after completing a period of incarceration for a forcible or nonforcible sexual offense is ineligible to receive a Federal Pell grant.
Even if you are ineligible for federal aid, you should complete the FAFSA because you may be eligible for nonfederal aid from state institutions. If you regain eligibility during the award year, notify your financial aid administrator immediately. If you are convicted of a drug-related offense after you submit the FAFSA, you might lose eligibility for federal student aid, and you might be liable for returning any financial aid you received during a period of ineligibility.
If you have a question about your citizenship status, contact the financial aid office at the college or career school you plan to attend.
How will I know what I'm eligible for?
The information you reported on your FAFSA is used to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is calculated by a formula established by law. You may think of the EFC as an index that colleges use to determine how much financial aid (grants, loans or work-study) you would receive if you were to attend their school. If your EFC is below a certain number, you'll be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant assuming you meet all other eligibility requirements.
The amount of your Pell Grant depends on your EFC, your cost of attendance (which the financial aid administrator at your college or career school will determine), and your enrollment status (full time, three-quarter time, half time, or less than half time).
For our other aid programs, the financial aid administrator at your college or career school takes your cost of attendance and then subtracts your EFC, the amount of a Federal Pell Grant you are eligible for, and aid you will get from other sources. The result is your remaining financial need:
Cost of Attendance
EFC
Federal Pell Grant Eligibility
Aid from Other Sources
= Remaining Financial Need
A financial aid administrator can consider special or unusual circumstances such as unusual medical expenses, unemployment, etc. and can adjust your cost of attendance or some of the information used to calculate your EFC. You'll have to provide your college or career school with documentation to justify any change.