Determining Eligibility for Federal Financial Aid
A student is eligible for federal student aid when he or she meets all of the following criteria:
- Enrollment, or acceptance for enrollment, in a degree-seeking program of study.
- Registration as at least a half-time student in courses required for completion of the degree program.*
- U.S. citizenship or qualification as an eligible non-citizen.
- Satisfactory academic progress.
- Completion of the necessary financial aid applications by the appropriate deadlines.
*Half-time enrollment for most graduate programs is defined as 4 or more credits per semester. For further information regarding academic progress and what constitutes “half-time” enrollment, refer to the specific requirements pertaining to the academic program the student is pursuing.
In order to qualify as an eligible non-citizen, students must be permanent residents with an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551 or Form I-551C, with a currently valid expiration date. Passports stamped “Processed for I-551” with a valid expiration date are also acceptable. Students may also present a “Temporary Resident Card,” Form I-688, with a valid expiration date to qualify as an eligible non-citizen. Note that the I-688A and I-688B do not qualify the student as an eligible non-citizen. No federal financial aid is available to international students.