Eligibility Requirements
Be a High School Graduate
To be eligible for aid, students must have a high school diploma or its equivalent, or have a certificate indicating they have completed a home-study program recognized by their home state.
Be Enrolled in an Approved Degree Program
Students must be enrolled in an approved degree-seeking program to be eligible for any financial aid from the College.
Credit Hours
Graduate students must register at least half time (6 credits) and for a minimum (4 credits in fall/spring and 3 credits in summer) or non-topical/research/thesis hours each semester during the academic year to be eligible for federal financial aid.
Be a U.S. Citizen or an Eligible Non-Citizen
Students must be United States citizens or classified as eligible non-citizens in order to be eligible for federal, state, and College financial assistance. Students must fit one of the following categories in order to be considered eligible non-citizens:
Citizen not born in United States
- Certificate of Citizenship (must have student's name, certificate number and the date the certificate was issued)
- Certificate of Naturalization (must have student's name, certificate number, Alien Registration Number, name of the court and the date where naturalization occurred)
- Certificate of Birth Abroad (must have embossed seal 'United States of America" and "State Department")
- U.S. Passport
Non-citizen National
- U.S. Passport (must be stamped "Non-citizen National")
- Have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) indicating a status of: "Refugee", "Asylum Granted", "Cuban-Hatian Entrant", "Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before 4/1/1980), or "Parolee"
- You have a T-Visa or you have a parent with a T-1 Visa
- You are a "battered immigrant-qualified alien"
- You are a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau
- A student that qualifies for eligibility under the Jay Treaty of 1789
Permanent Resident
- "Permanent Resident Card"(Form I-551), or the "Alien Registration Receipt Card"(Form I-151)
- Foreign Passport (must be stamped"processed for I-551" with expiration date)
- I-94 (must be stamped "Processed for I-551 with expiration date, or Temporary Form I-551," with appropriate information filled in)
Have a Valid Social Security Number
Students must have a valid Social Security number to receive financial aid. Exceptions to this rule are students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau.
Be Registered with the Selective Service
Male students between the ages of 18 and 25 must be registered with Selective Service to be eligible for financial aid. If you immigrated to the US after the age of 25, you will need to prove your age at the time of immigration (verifying you were ineligible to register when you came to this country). Verification of registration can be provided in the form of the registration card mailed to the student or a letter from www.sss.gov.
Not in Default on a Loan or Owe a Refund on a Grant
To be eligible for financial assistance, students must not be in default on any federal loan nor owe any refund on a Federal Pell Grant or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
Not Have a Drug Conviction
Students must not have been convicted of violating any federal or state law related to the possession or sale of drugs while receiving Title IV funds. Students who are convicted must notify Student Financial Services. Students convicted of a charge while receiving Title IV funds may lose their future eligibility for Title IV financial assistance and may be required to pay back any aid they received prior to their conviction. When completing the FAFSA, if you must answer yes to the question relating to sale or possession of drugs (question 23) a worksheet will be presented for you to fill out to determine if you are eligible for financial aid.
