<p>I’m 17 and concurrently enrolled in a community college. I wanted to do a full courseload this semester, but I found out I couldn’t apply for FAFSA because I was neither 18 nor graduated from high school. This upcoming spring will be my final semester of high school. I won’t turn 18 until June. Will I be able to apply for FAFSA for the fall semester of 2012 while I’m 17 since I’ll be 18 at the time aid is received?</p>
<p>Note: The point of this question is I want to apply for financial aid as early as I can, but I won’t be 18 or a high school graduate at the time.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter if you are 17 or 18. You cannot apply for financial aid because you are still in high school. You won’t be eligible for aid until you have graduated. Even if you are 17, you will then be eligible for aid.</p>
<p>By the way, you do not “apply for FAFSA.” You complete and submit the FAFSA. Schools use the info from the FAFSA to package your financial aid. The EFC determined by the FAFSA will determine whether or not you are eligible for a Pell grant. If not, you will be eligible for student loans and possibly other aid (SEOG, work study, institutional grants). Your aid will vary by school.</p>
<p>Kelsmom…wouldn’t a student be able to complete a FAFSA if they were a matriculated student at a Community College…regardless of high school completion? Of course, this would NOT apply to the OP who is still a high school student…and not a matriculated student at that Community College.</p>
<p>I’m only asking because I know some non-conventional students who returned to community college but never got high school diplomas…and I thought they completed the FAFSA.</p>
<p>I think you either have to complete high school or have your GED. I think there is also another test some states allow that could be substituted for your GED. </p>
<p>I remember my ex had to get his GED before he could file FAFSA to go to a cc.</p>
<p>One of the requirements for federal aid is diploma, GED, or “ability to benefit.” The feds are cracking down on this, which is why the question is now asked about the student’s high school (to stop the online high school diploma business, which is hitting CC’s hard). This is from the federal aid website: </p>
<p>have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, pass an ability-to-benefit (ATB) test approved by the U.S. Department of Education, meet other standards your state establishes that the Department approves, complete a high school education in a home school setting that is treated as such under state law, or have satisfactorily completed six credit hours or the equivalent course work toward a degree or certificate.
be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program. Note: You might be able to receive aid for distance education courses as long as they are part of a recognized certificate or degree program.</p>
<p>While a student without a diploma/GED can either take an ability to benefit test or show that he/she can benefit by earning six credit hours TOWARD A DEGREE/CERTIFICATE (that is, must be enrolled in a regular degree/certificate program) first … then that student would be eligible for aid. These regs do in effect keep high school students from receiving aid for college classes while in high school.</p>
<p>I didn’t want to make another thread for this considering it pretty much falls under “questions about FAFSA”…so here goes.</p>
<p>Do I have to be full-time in both college year semesters to be considered a full-time student by the IRS for that year? I think I read something about having to be full-time for each 6-month semester in a year but I’m not sure. Also what’s the difference between what would happen if I was considered a full-time student for the year, versus if I wasn’t, at least when it comes to my parents claiming me. If any additional details are needed, I am currently 22 years old and made no money for this year or the last. So basically, what requirements must be met for my parents to claim me as a student?</p>
<p>And finally…is one eligible for FAFSA aid if he/she is taking at least 6 semester credits?</p>