Eligibility Requirements

In order for students to receive financial assistance from federal, state or district financial aid programs, they must:

  • Apply for admission and submit documentation required by the desired school and receive notification of admittance.
  • Not be receiving Title IV financial aid concurrently from another institution.
  • Be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program.
  • Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This must be completed for each year of enrollment. The application can be accessed at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
  • Have a verifiable financial need based upon the “Student Aid Report” (SAR) or the “Institutional Student Information Report” (ISIR) in relation to the institutional cost of attendance.
  • Be one of the following to receive federal student aid: A U.S. Citizen or national; A U.S. permanent resident or other eligible noncitizen; or A citizen of the Freely Associated States: the Federated State of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau and the Marshall Islands. These students can only receive aid from selected FSA programs.

Please visit www.studentaid.ed.gov for additional information on eligibility criteria.

  • Need to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in accordance with school policy and procedures. SAP is based on grades and pace of program completion. Students must complete their program within 150% of the length of the total scheduled hours for the program.
  • Not be in default on a Federal Perkins Loan or any loans under the Federal Family of Educational Loan Programs (FFELP) made available through M-DCPS or other institutions, or have made satisfactory arrangements to repay a defaulted loan, and must not have borrowed in excess of the loan limits under any Title IV program.
  • Not owe refunds on a Federal Pell Grant, or any other Title IV grant.
  • Have a signed Statement of Registration Compliance indicating that they have either registered with the Selective Service or are not required to register. Please visit http://www.sss.gov/default.htm for additional information.
  • Have a signed Statement of Educational Purpose indicating that they will use the money only for expenses related to attending school. This mandatory for Federal Pell Grant recipients.
  • Hold a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) diploma. A diploma can be from a foreign school if it is officially verified as equivalent to a U.S. high school diploma. The high school diploma must be recognized by the Department of Education of the state from which it was issued. A state certificate is acceptable if received by a student after the student has passed a state-authorized examination that the state recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma as required by Chapter 34 CFR 600.2.
  • Not be enrolled in any high school completion program or hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
  • Comply with attendance policies, safety regulations, and the Post-Secondary Code of Conduct.
  • Comply with federal requirements regarding felony drug conviction policy in accordance with section 421(a) (1) of the Controlled Substances Act.
  • Receive and sign the check-list of “Registration Information You are Required to Know.

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