Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for federal financial aid (grants, loans and work-study funds), you have to meet certain requirements.
Federal Aid Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria are outlined in detail on Federal Student Aid’s Studentaid.gov. There, you will find more information regarding basic eligibility criteria, ability to benefit and other legal requirements such as citizenship and loan default status.
Additional eligibility requirements may apply for some people and some situations.
Enrollment and Additional Requirements
- You must be enrolled in a qualifying program that leads to an associate degree or an eligible vocational certificate or be in a transfer program that leads to a bachelor's degree at another institution.
- The courses you take must be required for your degree program (See Eligible Courses & Programs below).
- You must be attending a minimum of half-time (6 credit hours) each semester to be eligible for loans.
- Repeat courses may reduce or eliminate the amount federal funds offered.
- You can receive federal funds for up to 30 credit hours of remedial/developmental coursework.
- You must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards set by the post-secondary school you are or will be attending.
- If you already have a bachelor's degree, you won't be eligible for the Pell Grant, but you may be eligible for other types of federal aid.
- If you are attending two schools at the same time, you can only get financial aid at one school at a time during the same semester. If you plan to attend more than one school, you will need to contact us to discuss the possibility of a consortium agreement.
Transferring to Allen Requirements
If you are receiving financial aid at another school for the current aid year and you are transferring to Allen, you'll need to do the following:
- Cancel all financial aid from that previous school. Please request that the previous school notify us by email once your aid has been canceled.
- Make a correction to your FAFSA online to add the Allen Title IV school code, which is 001901 . If you are adding the Allen school code online, you must have your FSA ID.
- Check your requirements and your inbox often to verify what other items are needed for your file. We will use the email address listed on your FAFSA. You will be sent another email when your financial aid offer is complete and ready for viewing.
- Notify your lender/loan holder — if you have already borrowed student loans — that you are transferring to Allen.
- Contact the financial aid office at the school you are leaving to identify if anything else is required to close out your file.
Authority to Evaluate the Eligibility Process
The Department of Education gives the director of the Financial Aid Office at Allen Community College the authority to override this process at any time.
Eligible Courses & Programs
Federal Regulations require you to be “degree” or “eligible certificate” seeking to receive financial aid, but the courses you take must also be required for the program. Essentially, only the coursework that counts towards your degree will be used in determining your hours of enrollment for federal aid purposes (grants, loans, and Federal Work-Study).
- Want to know if they count?
- How do I know if I have a financial aid issue with my schedule?
- What can I do if my classes don't count?
- Will my aid pay for courses that don't count?
- What about electives and developmental courses?
- Can my prerequisite count?
- What if I am taking courses just to be admitted to another program or institution?
- Am I still able to take courses not required for my degree?
- I am double majoring; will all my courses count?
- What if I make a change to my schedule after I receive my refund?
- Eligibility Examples: