• Eligibility criteria for Federal student aid assistance
• Eligibility criteria for non-citizens
• Determining who is your parent
• Loss of job (or decreased hours) due to increased imports; and definition of a dislocated worker
• Determining whether you are a U.S. veteran
• Determining if you must register for Selective Service
• Determining whether you are an independent or dependent student
• What is a legal dependent?
• What is a Pell Grant?
• What constitutes less than half-time, half-time, and full-time enrollment?
• Determining amount of Federal income tax paid
• Determining whether you are eligible to file either IRS Form 1040A or 1040EZ or if someone in your household received benefits from a means-tested Federal benefits program
• Reporting untaxed income and benefits
• Reporting benefit adjustments and income exemptions
• Determining your Adjusted Gross Income
• Determining your earned income from work
• Determining your spouse's earned income from work
• Determining your expected cost of attendance
• Reporting current cash, savings, and checking account balances
• Reporting value of and debts against real estate and other investments
• Reporting business and/or investment farm value and debt

• demonstrate financial need (except for certain loans);
• 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;
• be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen;
• have a valid Social Security Number (with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau);
• register with the Selective Service if required. You can use the paper or electronic FAFSASM to register, you can register at www.sss.gov, or you can call 1-847-688-6888. (TTY users can call 1-847-688-2567.);
• maintain satisfactory academic progress once in school;
• certify that you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a federal student grant;
• certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.

Student aid eligibility is suspended for students who have been convicted under federal or state law of the sale or possession of drugs, if the offense occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving federal student aid (grants, loans, and/or work-study). If you have a conviction(s) for these offenses, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or complete the "Student Aid Eligibility Worksheet" to find out how this law applies to you.

If your eligibility for federal student aid has been suspended due to a drug conviction, you can regain eligibility early by successfully completing an approved drug rehabilitation program or by passing two unannounced drug tests administered by an approved drug rehabilitation program. If you regain eligibility during the award year, notify your financial aid office immediately so you can get any aid you're eligible for.

Civil Commitment for Sexual Offenses - A student subject to an involuntary civil commitment after completing a period of incarceration for a forcible or nonforcible sexual offense is ineligible to receive a Federal Pell grant.

Even if you are ineligible for federal aid, you should complete the FAFSA because you may be eligible for nonfederal aid from states and private institutions. If you regain eligibility during the award year, notify your financial aid administrator immediately. If you are convicted of a drug-related offense after you submit the FAFSA, you might lose eligibility for federal student aid, and you might be liable for returning any financial aid you received during a period of ineligibility.

If you have a question about your citizenship status, contact the financial aid office at the college or career school you plan to attend.

Intellectual disabilities
Students with intellectual disabilities can receive federal student aid under the Federal Pell Grant Program, FSEOG Program and Federal Work-Study Program. To be eligible, you must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an institution of higher education in a comprehensive transition and postsecondary (CTP) program for students with intellectual disabilities that the U.S. Department of Education has determined to be eligible for Title IV aid (Click here for a list of institutions with Title IV eligible CTP programs); be maintaining satisfactory progress; and meet the other student eligibility criteria.

1. You are a U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swains Island) or a U.S. permanent resident with a Form I-551, I-151, or I-551C (Permanent Resident Card, Resident Alien Card, or Alien Registration Receipt Card), also known as a green card.

2. You have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing "Refugee", "Asylum Granted","Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending)","Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980), or "Parolee" (you must be paroled for at least one year, and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are not in the United States for a temporary purpose and that you intend to become a U.S. citizen or permanent resident).

3. You hold a T-visa (for victims of human trafficking) or your parent holds a T-1 visa. Your college or career school's financial aid office will ask to see your visa and/or certification letter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

4. You are a "battered immigrant-qualified alien" who is a victim of abuse by your citizen or permanent resident spouse, or you are the child of a person designated as such under the Violence Against Women Act.

5. You are a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau. If this is the case, you are eligible only for Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, or Federal Work-Study. Check with your college or career school financial aid office for more information.

See more information about Eligibility for non-citizens.

If you are an eligible non-citizen, you will need your eight- or nine-digit Alien Registration Number.

• If your parents are living and married to each other, answer the questions about them.
• If your parent is widowed or single, answer the questions about that parent. If your widowed parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and the person to whom your parent is married (your stepparent).
• If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the questions about the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, give answers about the parent who provided more financial support during the past 12 months, or during the most recent year that you actually received support from a parent. If this parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and the person to whom your parent is married (your stepparent).

A displaced homemaker is generally a person who previously provided unpaid services to the family (e.g., a stay-at-home mom or dad), is no longer supported by the husband or wife, is unemployed or underemployed, and is having trouble finding or upgrading employment.

If a person quits work, generally he or she is not considered a dislocated worker even if, for example, the person is receiving unemployment benefits. You can contact your financial aid office for assistance in answering these questions. Note that the financial aid administrator at your school may require you to provide proof that your parent or spouse is a dislocated worker.

• were born before January 1, 1990;
• are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed forces for purposes other than training;
• are enrolled in a graduate or professional program (beyond a bachelor's degree);
• are or will be married as of the date you sign your FAFSA application;
• have legal dependents other than a spouse;
• as of age 13 or older, you were an orphan or ward of the court, even if you are no longer a dependent or ward of the court today;
• as of age 13 or older, both of your parents (biological or adoptive) are deceased, even if you are now adopted;
• as of age 13 or older, you were in foster care, even if you are no longer in foster care today;
• at any time on or after July 1, 2012 you were determined to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless. This determination may be made by a high school or school district homeless liaison, the director of an emergency shelter program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program.

"Homeless" means lacking fixed, regular and adequate housing. You may be homeless if you are living in shelters, parks, motels or cars, or are temporarily living with other people because you have nowhere else to go. Also, if you are living in any of these situations and fleeing an abusive parent you may be considered homeless even if your parent would provide support and a place to live.

"Unaccompanied" means you are not living in the physical custody of your parent or guardian.

"Youth" means you are 21 years of age or younger or you are still enrolled in high school as of the day you sign this application.

Answer "No" if you are not homeless or at risk of being homeless, or do not have a determination. You should contact your financial aid office for assistance if you do not have a determination but believe you are an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or are an unaccompanied youth providing for your own living expenses who is at risk of being homeless.

Under very limited circumstances (for example, your parents are incarcerated; you have left home due to an abusive family environment;or you do not know where your parents are and are unable to contact them), you may be able to submit your FAFSA without parental information. Once you submit your FAFSA without parental data, you must follow up with the financial aid office at the college you plan to attend, in order to complete your FAFSA.

For federal student aid purposes, someone who is incarcerated is not considered a ward of the court.

The financial aid administrator at your school may require you to provide proof that you were in foster care or a dependent or ward of the court.

Answer "Yes" if you can provide a copy of a court's decision that as of today you are an emancipated minor or are in legal guardianship. Also answer "Yes" if you can provide a copy of a court's decision that you were an emancipated minor or were in legal guardianship immediately before you reached the age of being an adult in your state. The court must be located in your state of legal residence at the time the court's decision was issued.
Answer "No" if you are still a minor and the court decision is no longer in effect or the court decision was not in effect at the time you became an adult.
The financial aid administrator at your college may require you to provide proof that you were an emancipated minor or in legal guardianship.

Dependent students are those who meet none of the above criteria for independent students, and typically receive at least half of their living expense support from parents or guardians.

You must be attending school at least half time to be eligible to receive Direct or FFEL Program loans. Half-time enrollment is not a requirement to receive aid from the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study, and Federal Perkins Loan programs.

• $100,000 or more, enter 99999
• Zero, or did not file a tax return, enter 0

In general, a person is eligible to file a 1040A or 1040EZ if he or she makes less than $100,000, does not itemize deductions, does not receive income from his or her own business or farm and does not receive alimony. A person is not eligible to file a 1040A or 1040EZ if he or she makes $100,000 or more, itemizes deductions, receives income from his or her own business or farm, is self-employed, receives alimony or is required to file Schedule D for capital gains. If you filed a 1040 only to claim Hope or Lifetime Learning credits, and you would have otherwise been eligible for a 1040A or 1040EZ, you should answer "Yes" to this question. If you filed a 1040 and were not required to file a tax return, you should answer "Yes" to this question.

Means-tested Federal benefits programs include: Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), Free and Reduced Price School Lunch, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). TANF may have a different name in your state. Call 1-800-4-FED-AID to find out the name of the state's program. Dependent students report benefits received for all of your parents' household members.

Include in your parents' household:

• yourself, even if you don't live with your parents,
• your parents,
• your parents' other children if (a) your parents will provide more than half of their support between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014, or (b) the children could answer "No" to every question on the Dependency Determination page, and
• other people if they now live with your parents, your parents provide more than half of their support now and will continue to provide more than half of their support between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014.

• yourself (and your spouse),
• your children, if you will provide more than half of their support now and will continue to provide more than half their support through June 30, 2014, and
• other people if they now live with you, you provide more than half of their support now and will continue to provide more than half of their support through June 30, 2014.

• Payments to tax-deferred pension and savings plans (paid directly or withheld from earnings), including, but not limited to, amounts reported on the W-2 Form in Boxes 12a through 12d, codes D, E, F, G, H, and S
• Deductible IRA and payments to self-employed SEP, SIMPLE, and Koegh and other qualified plans
• Child support received for all children. Don't include foster care or adoption payments
• Tax exempt interest income
• Untaxed portions of IRA distributions from IRS Form 1040. Exclude rollovers
• Untaxed portions of pensions. Exclude rollovers (Get Adobe reader)
• Housing, food and other living allowances paid to members of the military, clergy and others (including cash payments and cash value of benefits). Don't include the value of on-base military housing or the value of a basic military allowance for housing.
• Veterans noneducation benefits, such as Disability, Death Pension, or Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC), and/or VA Educational Work-Study allowances
• Other untaxed income not reported above, such as workers' compensation, disability, etc. Also include the firsttime homebuyer tax credit from IRS Form 1040.. Don't include student aid, earned income credit, additional child tax credit, welfare payments, untaxed Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income, Workforce Investment Act educational benefits, on-base military housing or a military housing allowance, combat pay, benefits from flexible spending arrangements (e.g., cafeteria plans), foreign income exclusion or credit for federal tax on special fuels
• Money received, or paid on your behalf (e.g., bills), not reported elsewhere on this form

• Education credits (American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning tax credits)
• Child support you paid because of divorce or separation or as a result of a legal requirement. Don't include support for children in your (or your parents') household
• Taxable earnings from need-based employment programs, such as Federal Work-Study and need-based employment portions of fellowships and assistantships
• Student grant, scholarship, and fellowship aid to students or parents included within Adjusted Gross Income. This includes AmeriCorps benefits (awards, living allowances, and interest accrual payments), as well as grant or scholarship portions of fellowships and assistantships.
• Combat pay or special combat pay. Only enter the amount that is taxable and included in your adjusted gross income.
• Earnings from cooperative education programs offered by a college.

• Average tuition and required fees for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates at 4-year institutions generally increased from 2009-10 to 2011-12. After adjusting for inflation, public institutions reported a 9 percent increase (to about $7,200) for in-state students and a 6 percent increase (to approximately $16,500) for out-of-state students, and nonprofit institutions reported a 4 percent increase (to about $23,300). For-profit institutions reported average tuition and required fees of approximately $15,200 for 2011-12, which corresponds to no change when compared to the inflation-adjusted figure from 2009-10.

• your actual tuition and fees (or the school's average tuition and fees)
• the cost of room and board (or living expenses for students who do not contract with the school for room and board)
• the cost of books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and miscellaneous expenses (including a reasonable amount for the documented cost of a personal computer)
• an allowance for dependent care
• costs related to a disability
• reasonable costs for eligible study-abroad programs