Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Requirements for Federal Financial Aid

To be eligible for federal financial aid, a student must:

  1. Be a citizen, national of the United States, be a permanent resident of the U.S., or be an eligible non-citizen.
    1. Eligible Non-Citizen
      1. U.S. Permanent Residents with a Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
      2. Conditional Permanent Residents (I-551C)
      3. Those with an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) showing the designations of the following:
        1. Refugee
        2. Asylum Granted
        3. Parole
        4. Cuban-Haitian Entrant
        5. Those with an Immigration Court document approving Asylum.
        6. Documentation of entering the U.S. under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act
  2. Have a valid Social Security Number. Students who qualify for AB540 status are not eligible for federal aid but may be eligible for California state aid. (See page 9 for more information.)
  3. Demonstrate financial need (for most programs). Financial need is defined as the difference between the cost of attendance (COA) at a school and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). While COA varies from school to school, your EFC does not change based on the school you attend. Some types of aid, such as some scholarships and loans, may not require a demonstration of financial need.
  4. Possess a high school diploma or valid equivalent. To be eligible for financial aid, you must have a High School Diploma, General Education Diploma (GED), or equivalent. Students who do not have a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent (e.g., GED) and who first enroll in a program of study on or after July 1, 2012, will not be eligible to receive Title IV student aid. Students would qualify for Title IV student aid under one of the ability-to-benefit (ATB) alternatives if the student completed those ATB alternatives and was enrolled in a Title IV eligible program prior to July 1, 2012. Those alternatives include the student passing an independently administered, approved ATB test or completing at least six-degree applicable units.
  5. Be enrolled in an eligible education program for the purpose of obtaining an associate degree, certificate of achievement, or completing requirements for transfer to another college. You are encouraged to follow a Student Educational Plan (available through the Counseling Office) and to enroll only in classes that count towards your stated educational goal. Please note students who choose Undecided/Undeclared as their program of study are not eligible for financial aid purposes.
  6. Be enrolled in and attend the appropriate number of units. Depending on a student’s EFC, some students may be required to enroll in 12 units to qualify for federal student aid. However, all students are not necessarily required to enroll in full-time units to receive aid. For students who are determined eligible, financial aid disbursements are based on the number of units in which you are enrolled. Students who drop classes or withdraw may be liable for repayment of all or part of the funds received.
  7. Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The U.S. Department of Education requires students who receive financial assistance to demonstrate academic success and progress toward a qualified academic program. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 or better, complete at least 67% of units attempted, and may receive aid only for a period of 150% of the minimum required units to complete their academic program. Coursework transferred in from prior academic institutions will be included in your Satisfactory Academic Progress calculation. Students who are terminated for not meeting SAP have the right to submit an appeal.
  8. Not be in default on a federal educational loan at any college or educational institution or proof of Fresh Start Program.
  9. Not owe a refund or repayment on any Title IV grant program (Pell, FSEOG, etc.) at any college or institution.
  10. Not have earned a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree. Generally, students already awarded bachelor’s or higher degrees are not eligible for federal or state aid. However, students meeting eligibility requirements may receive a Promise Grant.