Regaining Eligibility

Eligibility for federal student aid is determined on the basis of financial need and several other factors. The financial aid administrator at your intended college or career school will determine your eligibility.

On this page:

• Eligibility requirements
• Reasons for ineligibility

For more information about your eligibility for aid, visit the Attending section of FSA's Student Portal .

Eligibility requirements

To receive aid from our programs, you must do the following:

• Qualify for financial need
• Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, or pass a test approved by the U.S. Department of Education
• Be working toward a degree or certificate
• Be enrolled in an eligible program
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
• Have a valid Social Security Number
• Register with the Selective Service if required
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress once in school

Top

Reasons for ineligibility

Federal law suspends aid eligibility for students who meet any of the following conditions:

• Have been convicted under federal or state law of the sale or possession of drugs during a period of enrollment for which you were receiving federal student aid (grants, loans, and/or work study). If you have a conviction for these offenses, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) to find out if or how this law applies to you;
• are not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident; or
• currently have loans in default. You may become eligible again after making the agreed upon payments every month, on time, for at least six months. If you miss a payment after six months of on-time payments, you will lose eligibility again and will not be permitted to receive additional aid until the debt is paid-in-full.

Top