FAFSA Financial Aid Eligibility 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a basic eligibility requirement for federal student aid?
- Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen (Correct answer)
- Must attend a four-year university
- Must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Must be under 25 years old
Correct answer: Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
To receive federal student aid, you must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen such as a permanent resident.
Question 2: Which enrollment status makes a student ineligible for most federal student aid?
- Half-time
- Full-time
- Less than half-time (Correct answer)
- Three-quarter time
Correct answer: Less than half-time
Students enrolled less than half-time are ineligible for most federal student aid programs, including Pell Grants in many cases.
Question 3: A student with a drug conviction may lose eligibility for federal student aid under which condition?
- Any drug-related misdemeanor
- A drug conviction that occurred while receiving federal aid (Correct answer)
- A conviction that occurred before age 18
- Any conviction regardless of timing
Correct answer: A drug conviction that occurred while receiving federal aid
Only drug convictions that occurred while the student was receiving federal student aid can result in a loss of eligibility.
Question 4: Which document must all male students aged 18–25 confirm they have registered with to maintain FAFSA eligibility?
- Social Security Administration
- Selective Service System (Correct answer)
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Education
Correct answer: Selective Service System
Male students between 18 and 25 must be registered with the Selective Service System to be eligible for federal student aid.
Question 5: What is the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirement in relation to FAFSA eligibility?
- Students must maintain a minimum GPA and complete a required percentage of attempted credits (Correct answer)
- Students must score above 70% on all exams
- Students must enroll in at least 15 credits per semester
- Students must have no outstanding loan balances
Correct answer: Students must maintain a minimum GPA and complete a required percentage of attempted credits
Schools require students to meet SAP standards — typically a minimum GPA and completion rate — to remain eligible for federal aid.
Question 6: Which of the following noncitizen statuses does NOT qualify a student for federal student aid?
- Permanent resident with a green card
- Conditional permanent resident
- Student visa holder (F-1) (Correct answer)
- Refugee or asylee
Correct answer: Student visa holder (F-1)
Students on F-1 visas are not eligible for federal student aid because F-1 is a nonimmigrant visa status.
Which of the following is a basic eligibility requirement for federal student aid?