Eligibility and Testing Requirements (2024)

FAQs

What is the ability to benefit IFAP? ›

Ability to Benefit (ATB) allows a student without a high school diploma or equivalency to receive Title IV student financial aid to pay for postsecondary education and training if they are enrolled in a career pathway program.

Enrollment status for federal aid is defined as follows: full-time (12+ credits); three-quarter-time (9 to 11 credits); half-time (6 to 8 credits); less-than-half-time (less than 6 credits). Students are advised to use Financial Aid Self-Service to view enrolled credits and how they impact financial aid.

Our general eligibility requirements include that you have financial need for need-based aid, are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, and are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at an eligible college or career/trade school.

You are able to self-certify high school completion on your FAFSA. If you indicated that you do not have a high school diploma or an equivalent on the FAFSA, you are required to submit one of the following pieces of documentation in order to confirm high school completion: A copy of the student's high school diploma.

International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP)

Individuals who owe a refund on a grant made by a federal student aid program under Title IV of the Higher Education Act; Individuals in default on a Title IV loan; Individuals incarcerated in prison; and. Individuals convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs.

There is no set income limit for eligibility to qualify for financial aid through. You'll need to fill out the FAFSA every year to see what you qualify for at your college. It's important to make sure you fill out the FAFSA as quickly as possible once it opens for the following school year.

There may still be ways to pay for college if financial aid isn't enough. Scholarships, grants, part-time jobs and private student loans can all help cover the gap—or you might choose to attend a more affordable college.

Basic FAFSA eligibility requirements

Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a qualifying degree or certificate program. Maintain satisfactory academic progress while in school. Not be in default on federal student loans or owe money on a federal grant.

Can I get FAFSA with 1.5 GPA? ›

To be eligible for federal student aid and college financial aid, a student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). This generally consists of maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (i.e., at least a C average) and passing enough classes with progress toward a degree.

Federal law has a special clause that allows students lacking a high school diploma to access financial aid money they would otherwise miss. Known as the Ability to Benefit, the provision opens up federal financial aid to adults without high school degrees who enroll in GED and college classes simultaneously.

In summary

Adults without high school diplomas can attend community college, but few of them receive financial aid, even when they're eligible. A new proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian aims to fix that. But it may be too late.

MYTH 9:

FACT: While a high grade point average will help you get into a good school and may help with academic scholarships, most federal student aid programs do not take grades into consideration when you first apply.

What happens if you: Drop below full time status (less than 12 credits per term): Pell Grant: If you drop below full time status before the end of the add/drop period, the amount will be pro-rated. You will receive 3/4 of the award amount for 9-11 credits, or 1/2 of the award for 6-8 credits.

Full-time status 12 credit hours or more- receive full Pell Grant award amount. 3/4 time status 9-11 credit hours- receive 3/4 of Pell Grant award amount. 1/2 time status 6-8 credit hours- receive 1/2 of Pell Grant award amount. 1/4 time status 1-5 credit hours- receive 1/4 of Pell Grant award amount.

A student is considered to be full-time for financial aid, scholarships, and for administrative housekeeping if they complete 12 hours per semester.

$57,500 for undergraduates-No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. $138,500 for graduate or professional students-No more than $65,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. The graduate aggregate limit includes all federal loans received for undergraduate study.