Applying for Financial Aid

To be eligible for financial aid, students must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;
• Possess a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certificate;
• Have a valid Social Security Number (SSN);
• Register with the Selective Service (males between the ages of 18 and 25)
• Not have been convicted under federal or state law of the sale or possession of drugs while receiving federal financial aid;
• Be enrolled and working toward a degree or eligible certificate/program of study;
• Not be in default or owe a refund on any Title IV aid program from any source;
• Complete the entire financial aid application process and Certain students may be selected for verification. Please see SOCHi’s Verification policy.

Eligibility for aid and award amounts are determined by the results of the FAFSA. The Pell Grant is usually awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or a professional degree. The amount considers your financial need, cost of attendance, full or part-time student status, and intent to enroll for the full academic year or less. Qualifying students receive the full, eligible amount.

The specific dollar amount of the award can vary each year and is determined by the available funding. Once these funds are exhausted, additional awards cannot be made. The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program is the largest federal student loan program. Under this program, the U.S. Department of Education is your lender. Award amounts for Direct Loans are based on a combination of factors, including the student’s grade level, financial need and dependency status (with an additional check against the National Student Loan Database System [NSLDS]).