1. Basics of Student Eligibility
Session 2
Basics of Student Eligibility
Kim Wells and Aaron Washington| Dec U.S. Department of Education 2014 FSA Training Conference for Financial Aid Professionals

2. School-Determined Eligibility

3. Regular Student/Eligible Program
Regular student = someone enrolled/accepted for enrollment in eligible institution to obtain degree or certificate
Conditional acceptance – only considered regular student if school officially accepts into eligible program
Remedial coursework – if admitted into eligible program and remedial part of program, may include up to one year’s worth in enrollment status for TIV purposes
One year = 45 quarter credits, 30 semester/trimester credits or 900 clock-hours

4. Regular Student/Eligible Program
Teacher certification
Can award Direct Loans, Federal Work-Study (FWS) and Federal TEACH Grant to otherwise eligible students enrolled in teacher certification programs that do not lead to degree/certificate awarded by school
Students with intellectual disabilities
Must be part of Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary (CTP) Program

5. Elementary & Secondary Enrollment
Students cannot receive Title IV while enrolled in elementary or secondary enrollment, even if enrolled in college coursework at same time
Considered enrolled if pursuing a HS diploma or if completed requirements for diploma, has not yet received it and
Is either taking college coursework for which HS gives credit or HS still considers student enrolled there

6. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Student must be making SAP and school must have reasonable policy that cumulatively measures qualitative and quantitative components
Qualitative = GPA or other comparable measure against norm
Quantitative = pace of completion ensures completion within maximum timeframe
150% for undergraduate programs

7. Satisfactory Academic Progress
Other sessions offered
#3 – Basics of Satisfactory Academic Progress
12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m., Tues., 12/02
10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m., Wed., 12/03

8. Enrollment Status
Student must be enrolled at least ½ time for Direct Loan programs
In general, Federal Pell, TEACH Grant, & Campus-Based programs don’t require ½ time status
Two exceptions – teacher education post-baccalaureate programs and for FWS and Federal Perkins Loan teaching credential programs require ½ time enrollment
Minimum definition of FT for undergraduate students = 12 credits
School determines definition of FT for graduate programs

9. Drug Convictions
Federal or state conviction of possession or sale of drugs may disqualify student from TIV eligibility
Must be for offense that occurred during period of enrollment for which student was receiving TIV aid

10. Incarcerated Students
Incarcerated students not eligible for FSA loans but are eligible for FSEOG and FWS
Also Pell grant eligible if not incarcerated in federal or state penal institution
Incarcerated = serving criminal sentence in federal, state or local penitentiary, prison, jail, reformatory, work farm, or similar correctional institution
Halfway house, home detention, or serving only weekends does NOT equal incarceration
School may accept student’s written self-certification that he is no longer incarcerated

11. Academic Qualifications

12. High School Diploma
Certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education
ED relies on a state's determination as to what constitutes a high school diploma

13. Recognized Equivalents of a H.S. diploma
A state certificate 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;
An academic transcript of a student who has successfully completed at least a two-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree; or
For a person who is seeking enrollment in an educational program that leads to at least an associate degree or its equivalent and who has not completed high school but who excelled academically in high school, documentation that the student excelled academically in high school and has met the formalized, written policies of the institution for admitting such students

14. Homeschool
Obtained a secondary school completion credential for homeschool provided for under state law; or
If state law does not require a homeschooled student to obtain the credential, the student has completed a secondary school education in a home school setting

15. Ability to Benefit
For students who "first enroll in a program of study on or after July 1, 2012," and who are not high school graduates or do not meet the other eligibility criteria, the law eliminated the following ATB alternatives:
Passing an independently administered, Department of Education approved ATB test
Completing at least six credit-hours, or the equivalent coursework (225 clock-hours), that are applicable toward a degree or certificate offered by the postsecondary institution

16. ED-Determined Eligibility

17. Citizenship U.S. citizen U.S. national Permanent resident
Eligible noncitizen
in the United States for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a citizen or permanent resident

18. Categories of Eligible Noncitizens
Lawful permanent residents
Conditional residents
Refugees
Asylees
Parolees (at least 1 year)
Cuban-Haitian Entrants
T-visa
Battered immigrants- qualified aliens (VAWA)

19. Citizenship Match with SSA
All students go through match with Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify U.S. citizenship status
Match flags on CPS
Successful match
Data doesn’t match
Citizenship not confirmed

20. Citizenship Match with SSA (cont’d)

21. Citizenship Match with DHS
All noncitizens are provided with an alien registration number (A-Number)
Matched with both SSA and DHS
Match flags on CPS
Successful match
Record was not sent to DHS
DHS has not yet confirmed the student’s noncitizen status. DHS will continue to check its records.

22. G-845 Paper Secondary Confirmation
The Department provides a list of eligible noncitizens and documentation
Fill out the G-845
Use the FSA Handbook to interpret the DHS-USCIS response

23. Freely Associated States
Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Marshall Islands, and Palau
Eligible for limited FSA funds
Pseudo-SSNs
For the purposes of calculating Pell Grant lifetime eligibility
Documentation of citizenship is not required if information is consistent

24. Documenting Immigration Status in Later Award Years
When documentation is required for each award year
Students in certain eligible categories may have been redesignated
When documentation is not required for each award year
If the document associated with the G-845 has not expired

25. Selective Service

26. Selective Service Registration requirements
18-25 year old males
Registering with SSS or on the FAFSA
When registration is NOT required
Active duty serving in the Armed Forces
Not yet 18 at the time that they complete their applications
Born before 1960
Citizens of the Freely Associated States
Noncitizens who first entered the U.S. after age 26

27. Match with SSS
All male students go through match with SSS to verify compliance with requirements
Successful Match
The student is eligible for aid
Unsuccessful Match
Student must either register or provide evidence that he is registered or is exempt from registration or;
CPS won’t be able to forward the student for registration if certain information is missing.

28. Failure to Register
Some students have been denied aid because they failed to register with the Selective Service before their 26th birthday
Students who knew of the registration requirement but chose not to register are considered to have knowingly and willfully failed to register and are therefore ineligible for FSA funds

29. Social Security Number

30. Social Security Number (SSN)
The FAFSA collects the student’s and dependent parents’ SSNs
The FAFSA will not be processed without an SSN

31. Match with SSA Match Flags on CPS Successful match No match on SSN
Wrong SSN on FAFSA
FAFSA data entry error
Error in SSA database
No match on name or DOB
Missing information
Date of death

32. Social Security Number
Death master file
CPS will verify that student SSNs do not appear on a master death file
SSN being used by more than one person
the student’s application will likely fail the SSN match
Citizens of the Freely Associated States and pseudo-SSNs

33. NSLDS History

34. NSLDS History Ineligible statuses Default
Owe overpayment on Title IV grant
Inadvertent over borrowing of annual or aggregate loan limits
Convicted of/pled no contest or guilty involving fraud in obtaining FSA funds
Property subject to judgment/lien for debt owed to U.S.

35. NSLDS History – Bankruptcy
If loan discharged in bankruptcy, student remains eligible for Title IV aid
If defaulted loan listed in active bankruptcy, student must provide documentation stating that debt is dischargeable

36. NSLDS History – Total and Permanent Disability
If student had previous loans discharged due to TPD
She must provide physician’s certification of her ability to engage in substantial gainful activity AND
She must sign statement acknowledging future loans may not be discharged due to current impairment unless it deteriorates so that she is totally and permanently disabled again
If she requests loans during conditional discharge period, must resume payment on old loan

37. NSLDS History – Regaining Eligibility
Default & inadvertent over borrowing
Pay in full or make satisfactory arrangements to repay with holder of loan
Inadvertent over borrowing – see GEN-13-02
When situation is resolved, regain eligibility for
Grants -- beginning with current payment period
Loans – beginning with start of current enrollment (loan) period

38. Program-Specific Eligibility

39. Federal Pell Grants Generally, undergraduate students only
Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU)
All students subject to 600% limit on Pell Grants
Incarcerated students
Incarcerated in local institutions = Pell eligible
COA must only include tuition & fees, books & supplies necessary for student’s program of study
Sex offenders
Not Pell eligible if subject to involuntary civil commitment following incarceration for sexual offense

40. Federal Pell Grants
Students enrolled in post-baccalaureate teacher certification/licensure program eligible for Pell if the
program does not lead to a graduate degree;
school offering the program does not also offer a bachelor’s degree in education;
student is pursuing an initial teacher certification or licensing credential within a state; and
program consists of the courses required by a state to receive a professional certification or licensing credential necessary for employment as a teacher in an elementary or secondary school in that state

41. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
For eligible students whose parent/guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after 09/11/01
Student was less than 24 years old when parent/guardian died; or
Student was 24 or older and was enrolled at postsecondary institution at time of parent/guardian death
If Pell eligible, eligibility for all Title IV aid is calculated on EFC of 0
If not Pell eligible, awarded Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant in amount equal to Pell for award year

42. Direct Loans Preparatory coursework
Student (or parent in case of dependent student) may apply for DL for coursework school determines necessary for enrollment in eligible program (prerequisite for admission into program)
Coursework must be part of an eligible program at school
Student eligible for loans for one consecutive 12- month period

43. Federal TEACH Grants Students must
be pursuing coursework necessary for career in teaching
sign an agreement to serve (ATS)
teach in a high-need field
at an elementary or secondary school or educational service agency serving low income students
for 4 complete years within 8 years of ceasing enrollment in TEACH eligible program of study
If conditions in ATS aren’t met, TEACH Grant reverts to unsubsidized loan

44. QUESTIONS?