Eligibility
While all scholarships are based on academic merit, some scholarships also require financial need. Determination of financial need is based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To be considered for all need-based scholarships, first-year applicants must file their FAFSA by February 15. For returning students, the FAFSA filing deadline is March 15. The FAFSA is available online beginning January 1.
Students must meet the following criteria for basic federal financial aid eligibility*:
- U.S. citizenship (or eligible non-citizenship as defined on the FAFSA)
- Registration for Selective Service, if required
- Progress toward a degree in an eligible program
- Demonstration of financial need (except for certain loans)
- Satisfactory academic progress each academic year
- Certification that the student is not in default on any federal student loan nor owes a refund on a federal grant
- Issuance of a valid Social Security number (unless the student is from the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau)
- Certification that the federal student financial aid will be used only for educational purposes
- No conviction of an offense involving the possession or sale of illegal drugs that occurred while receiving Title IV aid
* Federal Pell Grant eligibility also includes no involuntary civil commitment following incarceration for a sexual offense (as determined under the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program)
