Funding Your Education 1997-98

Eligibility Criteria

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What criteria do I have to meet to get federal student aid?

How does the aid administrator determine what I'm eligible for?

What does my cost of attendance include?

What if my family has unusual circumstances?

Eligibility for federal student aid is determined on the basis of the financial need and on several other factors. The financial aid administrator at the college or career school you plan to attend will determine what you're eligible for.

What criteria do I have to meet to get federal student aid?

Basically, to receive aid from our programs, you must

• have financial need (not part of the criteria for some loans),
  
• have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate or
  
• pass a test approved by the Department of Education,
  
• be working toward a degree or certificate,
  
• be enrolled in an eligible program,
  
• be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen,
  
• have a valid Social Security Number,
  
• register with the Selective Service if required, and
  
• maintain satisfactory academic progress once in school.

If you have a question about your citizenship status, contact the financial aid office at the college or career school you plan to attend.

How does the aid administrator determine what I'm eligible for?

When your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is processed, a formula is applied to the information you provided. Congress established this formula, which determines your financial need. The formula takes into account your family's income, some assets, and certain expenses that are required (taxes), necessary (basic living expenses), and related to earning income (employment-related expenses).

The formula result is the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which indicates how much money you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education for the 1997-98 school year. If your EFC is below a certain amount, you'll be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, assuming you meet all other eligibility requirements. The amount of your Pell Grant depends on your EFC, your cost of attendance (which the financial aid administrator at your college or career school will figure out) and your enrollment status (full time, three-quarter time, half time, or less than half time).

For our other aid programs, the financial aid administrator at your college or career school takes your cost of attendance and then subtracts your EFC, the amount of a Federal Pell Grant you are eligible for, and aid you will get from other sources. The result is your remaining financial need:

What does my cost of attendance include?

Your cost of attendance is the sum of

• your actual tuition and fees or the school's average tuition fees,
  
• the cost of room and board (or living expenses for students who do not contract with the school for room and board),
  
• the cost of books and supplies,
  
• an allowance for transportation, and
  
• an allowance for miscellaneous expenses.

Costs unrelated to completion of a student's course of study are excluded in calculating a student's cost of attendance.

What if my family has unusual circumstances?

As mentioned earlier, the financial aid administrator at your college or career school can change your status from dependent to independent if he or she believes there is a good reason to do so. You'll have to provide your college or career school with documentation to justify the change.

The financial aid administrator also has the authority to adjust your cost of attendance or some of the information that is used to calculate your EFC. This kind of change can be made if you have unusual circumstances that affect your family's ability to contribute money to the cost of your education. If your family has any unusual circumstances (for example, high medical expenses or reduced income due to a recent job loss), contact the financial aid administrator at the school you plan to attend. He or she will decide whether an adjustment is necessary, and that decision cannot be appealed to the Department.

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