by Carlos Soto, CourseAdvisor

In order to qualify for Federal Financial Aid programs, you must meet certain requirements set by the U.S. federal government. According to the Guide to Federal Student Aid, these requirements focus on academic performance and legal qualifications.

Federal Financial Aid - Educational Requirements
You must demonstrate by one of the following means that you are qualified to enroll in postsecondary education:

1. Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) Certificate.
2. Pass an approved ability-to-benefit (ATB) test. If you don't have a diploma or GED, you can take an approved ATB test to determine whether you can benefit from the education offered at that school.
3. Complete a high school education in a home school setting approved under state law.

You must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program.

You must meet satisfactory academic progress standards set by the postsecondary school you are or will be attending.

You might be able to receive federal financial aid for correspondence or telecommunications courses as long as they are part of a recognized certificate or degree program.

Federal Financial Aid - Legal Requirements
You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.

You must have a valid Social Security number (SSN), unless you're from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia or the Republic of Palau.

You must certify that you will use student federal financial aid only for educational purposes. You must also certify that you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a federal student grant (which could happen if you withdraw from school, for example). You certify these items when you apply for student federal financial aid and sign a promissory note to obtain these funds.

You must comply with Selective Service Registration. If you're a male, aged 18 through 25 and you have not registered, you can, at the same time you complete your FAFSA, give the Selective Service System permission to register you by means of the FAFSA.

Generally, if you have been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving student federal financial aid, you will be ineligible for a period of time based on the type and number of convictions. If you answer "Yes" to this question, it is very important that you complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine your eligibility. If you are submitting a paper FAFSA, you will be mailed a worksheet to assist you in determining whether your conviction affects your eligibility for student federal financial aid. If you are applying using FAFSA on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov, you will be taken to the electronic version of the same worksheet. If you need assistance or have any questions on how to answer Question 31, call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) for help from the Federal Student Aid Information Center.

Even if you're ineligible for student federal financial aid because of a drug conviction, you should still complete the FAFSA because most schools and states use FAFSA information to award nonfederal aid.

You have limited eligibility for student federal financial aid while you're incarcerated. Generally, you're only eligible for a Pell Grant and then only if you're NOT incarcerated in a federal or state penal institution.

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Source: "Funding Education Beyond High School," Guide to Federal Student Aid, 2007-2008, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid.