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To receive federal financial aid, a student must meet basic eligibility requirements set by federal law. The federal government checks some of these through the FAFSA. The college checks others, including a high school diploma on file, enrollment in an eligible program, and satisfactory academic progress. A completed FAFSA confirms federal-side processing only, not aid approval.
Basic Requirements
A student must:
- Complete a FAFSA for the applicable award year
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Have a high school diploma, GED, or other state-recognized equivalent
- Be enrolled in an eligible program of study (most degree and certificate programs at SF qualify, but not all)
- Not be in default on a federal student loan
- Not owe a repayment on a federal grant (such as an overpayment from a prior institution)
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
These apply to all federal aid: grants, loans, and work-study. Some individual programs add requirements beyond this list, covered in the article for each program.
What "Eligible Program" Means
Most associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees, and certificate programs at SF are eligible for federal financial aid. A student has to be admitted to and pursuing one of these programs.
Federal aid. For federal aid (Pell, FSEOG, loans, work-study), only courses that count toward the student's declared program are used to calculate the award. A student taking 12 credit hours where only 9 apply to the program has an enrollment intensity of 9 for federal aid, not 12. Courses that don't apply won't increase the award, but they won't stop aid from covering the balance. The common case is a student who has filled every elective slot but keeps taking courses for a future transfer program, which don't count.
State aid and scholarships. For state aid like Bright Futures, all enrolled credit hours count as long as the program is eligible. Scholarships vary, some require program-applicable courses, others just a level of enrollment.
To see which courses count toward the program:
- Log into eSantaFe [WEB LINK: eSantaFe login].
- Choose My Classes.
- Choose My Schedule.
Default and Overpayment
A student in default on a federal student loan, or who owes a repayment on a federal grant, cannot receive new federal aid until it is resolved. A grant overpayment usually comes from a Return of Title IV calculation after a withdrawal, and the Financial Aid Portal in eSantaFe shows whether a student has an outstanding overpayment. Resolving a default or an overpayment follows the same path as other document and correction requests.
Maintaining Eligibility
Eligibility can change from one semester to the next. Common triggers are failing to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, dropping below the enrollment intensity a specific aid program requires, changing to a program that isn't aid-eligible, or exceeding maximum timeframe.
The Financial Aid Portal reflects a student's current eligibility status. A student should check the portal and respond to any outstanding requirements promptly.
Documents or corrections we may ask for
Federal database checks after the FAFSA is processed can require documents or a FAFSA correction.