Who Is Eligible for Financial Aid?

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Most students are eligible to receive financial aid from the federal government to help pay for college or career school. Your age, race, or field of study won’t affect your eligibility for federal student aid. While your income is taken into consideration, it does not automatically prevent you from getting federal student aid.

To receive federal student aid, you’ll need to...

  1. Qualify to obtain a college or career school education, either by having a high school diploma or equivalent, or by completing a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law.
  2. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program
  3. Have a valid Social Security number unless you are from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau.

In addition you must...

Be a U.S. CITIZEN or U.S. NATIONAL
You are a U.S. citizen if you were born in the United States or certain U.S. territories, if you were born abroad to parents who are U.S. citizens, or if you have obtained citizenship status through naturalization. If you were born in American Samoa or Swains Island, then you are a U.S. national.

OR

Have a GREEN CARD
You are eligible if you have a Form I-551, I-151, or I-551C, also known as a green card, showing you are a U.S. permanent resident

OR

Have an ARRIVAL-DEPARTURE RECORD
Your Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must show one of the following:

  • Refugee
  • Asylum Granted
  • Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending)
  • Conditional Entrant (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)
  • Parolee

OR

Have BATTERED IMMIGRANT STATUS
You are designated as a “battered immigrant-qualified alien” if you are a victim of abuse by your citizen or permanent resident spouse, or you are the child of a person designated as such under the Violence Against Women Act.

OR

Have a T-VISA

4. You are eligible if you have a T-visa or a parent with a T-1 visa.
Sign certifying statements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form stating that

  • you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe a refund on a federal grant and
  • you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.

5. Maintain satisfactory academic progress in college or career school.

In addition:

  • Students must be attending a minimum of six (6) eligible credits for federal loans (Audited courses, Transfer Credits, Credit by Exam, Experiential Learning Credits, and some repeat courses do not count towards eligibility);
  • Students with prior baccalaureates are not eligible to receive Pell or SEOG grants.
  • Federal loans must be prorated for certificate programs consisting of 16 to 23 credits.
  • Financial aid must be prorated for programs that are less than 30 weeks in any academic year.
  • A Consortium Agreement is required when a student is enrolled at more than one CCSNH College and wishes to use financial aid at both colleges.
  • Pell eligible students must be registered for any course(s) that does not span the entire length of the semester prior to the Pell recalculation date within that semester.