To receive aid from the student loan programs, you:

• Must have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) Certificate.
• Must be enrolled at least half-time at an approved school or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program. You may not receive aid for correspondence or telecommunications courses unless they are part of an associate, bachelor's or graduate degree program.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• Must have a valid Social Security Number.
• Must be making satisfactory academic progress as determined by the school.
• Must sign a statement on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) certifying that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.
• Must register with the Selective Services, if required. If you are a male between the ages of 18 and 25 years of age, and you have not yet registered with Selective Services, you can give Selective Services permission to register you by checking the box on the FAFSA. You can also register through the internet at www.sss.gov.
• May not be in default on a federal student loan.
• May not owe repayment of a federal grant.
• May not have committed fraud in obtaining Title IV aid.

When you apply for financial aid, the U.S. Department of Education verifies some of the information with the following agencies.

• Social Security Administration for verification of Social Security Numbers and U.S. citizenship status.
• Selective Services System for verification of Selective Services registration status, if applicable.
• Immigration and Naturalization Service for verification of eligible non-citizenship status, if applicable.
• Department of Justice for verification that you have not been denied Federal student aid by the courts as a result of a drug-related conviction.
• Veterans Administration for verification of veterans status for a dependency status.