To establish financial aid eligibility and receive federal student aid, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen.
- Have a valid Social Security Number.
- Demonstrate financial need (except for certain loans).
- Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, pass an ability-to-benefit (ATB) test approved by the U.S. Department of Education, 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 in an eligible associate, bachelor, or graduate degree program. Note: You might be able to receive aid for distance education courses as long as they are part of a recognized certificate or degree program.
- Certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.
- Certify that you are not in default on a federal student loan and that you do not owe money on a federal student grant.
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress while in school.
- Comply with the Selective Service registration, if required. You can use the paper or electronic FAFSASM to register, you can register at www.sss.gov, or you can call 1-847-688-6888. (TTY users can call 1-847-688-2567.)
In addition, anyone convicted under federal or state law of selling or possessing illegal drugs may not be able to receive federal student aid.
