Table of Contents
Basic Federal Eligibility
To receive financial aid, a student must meet the following basic federal requirements. You may be asked to provide documentation to confirm your eligibility. If so, you will be given specific instructions of what documentation you will need to provide. We will not be able to provide you with a financial aid award offer until these eligibility requirements have been confirmed.
Citizenship
Eligible statuses are:
- A U.S. citizen or national
- A U.S. permanent resident
- A citizen of the Freely Associated States: the Federated States of Micronesia and the republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands
- Other eligible non-citizen. For specific questions regarding this category, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
Name, Social Security & Date of Birth Matches
The name, Social Security Number and date of birth that you provide on the FAFSA must match records of the Social Security Administration.
Defaults & Overpayments
Generally, a person is not eligible for federal student aid funds if he/she is in default on a federal loan or owes an overpayment on a federal grant or loan, and has not made a repayment arrangement for the default or overpayment.
Veteran Status
If you report on the FAFSA that you are a veteran, we must be able to confirm this with the Department of Veterans Affairs, or you may be asked to provide a copy of your honorable discharge papers (DD Form 214).
Dependency Status
When you fill out the FAFSA, you will answer a series of questions to determine whether you're considered a "dependent" or "independent" student. The federal Department of Education has certain criteria to determine dependency status. If you are under age 24, you are most likely dependent for financial aid purposes regardless of whether or not you live with your parents, whether or not you are claimed by your parents on their tax form, and whether or not you are receiving any financial support from your parents. Complete details about the criteria for being considered independent can be found in the "Browse Help" section of the FAFSA website, fafsa.gov.
If you're considered dependent, you must report your parents' income and assets on the FAFSA, as well as your own. If you're independent, you'll report only your own income and assets (and those of your spouse, if you're married).
In highly unusual cases, the Financial Aid Office can determine that a student who doesn't meet the above criteria should still be treated as an independent student. If you have reviewed the criteria for independent status and believe you may fall into this category, contact your Financial Aid Representative.