Financial Aid Eligibility

The general financial aid eligibility criteria are:

1. Have a high school diploma or GED
2. Enroll as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program
3. Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
4. Have a valid Social Security number
5. Not be in default on a federal student loan or owe a repayment of a federal student grant or loan
6. Make satisfactory academic progress
7. Sign certifying statements on the FAFSA, such as agreeing to use federal student aid funds only for educational expenses
8. Be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for federal student loans. (Note: Doctoral learners at UI&U are required to enroll full-time to be eligible for federal student loans)
9. Be registered with the Selective Service, if male and required. Note: Male students can register with the Selective Service online at the Selective Service System
10. Not had your eligibility suspended or terminated due to a drug-related conviction

Note: An affected student can regain eligibility early by successfully completing an approved drug rehabilitation program. A comprehensive list of federal financial aid eligibility requirements can be found at the Department of Education’s Student Aid on the Web.

Some financial aid programs require you to demonstrate financial need in order to qualify. Your financial need is the difference between the cost of attendance and your expected family contribution:

                                    Cost of Attendance
                              -     Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
                             =     Need

Note: Financial need is not a requirement to receive an unsubsidized Stafford Loan or PLUS loan.
Every college must estimate the educational expenses or cost of attendance a student will incur during an academic year. These expenses include tuition and fees, living expenses, transportation, loan fees, and books and supplies. Refer to the UI&U Web site for specific tuition and fee charges.

The Expected Family Contribution or EFC is a measure of your family's financial strength and indicates how much of your and your family's resources should be available to help pay for your education. The EFC is calculated from the information you report on your FAFSA according to a formula established by law. Your family's taxable and untaxed income, assets and benefits, family size and the number of family members who will be attending college are some of the factors that are used to determine your EFC. Your EFC will appear on your Student Aid Report (SAR) which you will receive after you file your FAFSA.

The EFC formula is applied individually to each family's financial information. A United States Department of Education tool called FAFSA4caster can help you estimate how much aid you might receive before your official financial aid award letter is sent to you by our financial aid office. Visit the Federal Student Aid Web site.