by Federal Student Aid | Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes
Basic Eligibility Criteria
Our basic eligibility requirements are that students must:
- demonstrate financial need for need-based federal student aid programs;
- be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen;
- have a valid Social Security number (with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau);
- be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program;
- maintain satisfactory academic progress in college or career school;
- provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly into their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form;
- sign the certification statement on the FAFSA form stating that they’re not in default on a federal student loan, they do not owe money on a federal student grant, and they’ll only use federal student aid for educational purposes; and
- show they’re qualified to obtain a college or career school education.
Students can show they’re qualified to obtain a college or career school education by:
- having a high school diploma or a state-recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate;
- completing a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law (or—if state law does not require a homeschooled student to obtain a completion credential—completing a high school education in a homeschool setting that qualifies as an exemption from compulsory attendance requirements under state law); or
- enrolling in an eligible career pathway program and meeting one of the “ability-to-benefit” alternatives described below.
IMPORTANT: On the FAFSA form, a contributor refers to anyone (your student, your student's spouse, your student's biological or adoptive parent, or their parent's spouse) who's required to provide information on the FAFSA form. If a required contributor doesn't provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred into your FAFSA form, your student won’t be eligible for federal student aid—even if they manually enter tax information into the FAFSA form.
Additional eligibility requirements can apply in certain situations including for non-U.S. citizens, students with criminal convictions, and students with intellectual disabilities.
Some federal student aid programs have their own eligibility criteria in addition to the general requirements listed above. Check with your student's college’s financial aid office if you or your student have questions about a particular program.
Ability-to-Benefit Alternatives
If your student was enrolled in college or career school prior to July 1, 2012, or if they are currently enrolled in an eligible career pathway program*, your student may show they’re qualified to obtain a higher education by:
- passing an approved ability-to-benefit test* (if your student doesn't have a diploma or GED, a college can administer a test to determine whether they can benefit from the education offered at that school) or
- completing six credit hours, 225 clock hours, or equivalent course work toward a degree or certificate (your student may not receive aid while earning the six credit hours).
*For more information about these criteria, talk to the financial aid office at your student's school. Your student's financial aid counselor can tell you and your student whether their school offers an eligible career pathway program and can advise your student about any ability-to-benefit tests the school uses.
Additional Links
- Eligibility for Non-U.S. Citizens
- Eligibility for Students with Criminal Convictions
- Eligibility for Students With Intellectual Disabilities
- Types of Financial Aid
- Apply for Financial Aid (keep an eye on when the 2025-2026 FAFSA will become available)
