The best way to find out what types of aid you're eligible for is to apply. At the very least, students are eligible for "unsubsidized" loans. These are loans where the interest accrues while you are enrolled in school. You can either pay the interest while you're in school or let it accumulate and add on to your total loan balance. Students who are eligible for need-based aid types may qualify for "subsidized" loans (where the interest is paid by the federal government while you are in school), grants, and/or work-study.
In general, to receive aid from the federal student aid programs, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
- Have a high school diploma, General Educational Development (GED)certificate, pass an approved "ability to benefit" test, or have completed a highschool education in a home school setting that is recognized as a home school orprivate school under state law.
- Enroll in an eligible program as a regular student seeking a degree or certificate.
- Be registered with the Selective Service if required (in general, if you are a maleage 18 through 25).
- Meet satisfactory academic progress standards set by your school.
- Certify that you are not in default on a federal loan or owe money on a federal grant.
- Certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.
- You might not be able to receive federal student aid if you've been convicted under federal or state law of selling or possessing illegal drugs, if the drug offense for which you were convicted occurred while you were receiving federal student aid.To find out your status, call our Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1- 800-433-3243) for information or go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and select "Before Beginning a FAFSA" on the left-hand side of the page. Once at that site, scroll down to and select on the left side "Drug Conviction Worksheet."
