Eligibility

Federal Aid Eligibility

All applicants must meet basic eligibility requirements for federal student aid. These requirements are that you must:

• Be a citizen of the United States of America, or be an eligible non-citizen*;
• Have a valid Social Security number (unless you are from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau);
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program;
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress;
• Sign the statement on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) stating that:
  • you are not in default on a federal student loan,
  • do not owe a refund of a previously awarded federal student aid grant, and
  • you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes;
• Show you are qualified to obtain a college education by:
  • having a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate,
  • completing a high school education in a home school setting approved under state law, or
  • enrolling in an eligible career pathway program and meeting one of the “ability-to-benefit” alternatives;
• Be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Direct Loan Program funds.

*Eligible Non-citizens

You are considered an eligible non-citizen if you fall into certain categories, such as the ones listed below:

• You are a U.S. national or U.S. permanent resident.
• You have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing**:
  • “Refugee,”
  • “Asylum Granted,”
  • “Cuban-Haitian Entrant,”
  • “Conditional Entrant” (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980), or
  • “Parolee” (you must be paroled for at least one year, and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen or permanent resident).
• You hold a T non-immigrant status (“T-visa”) or your parent holds an T-1 non-immigrant status.
• You are a “battered immigrant-qualified alien” or the child of a person designated under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)**.
• You are a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau.

** To qualify for federal student aid, certain eligible non-citizens must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that they are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Additional Eligibility Information

Most forms of financial aid have additional program-related requirements.

• Most programs require that you demonstrate financial need. Financial need is determined by the information provided on your financial aid application.
• With the exception of the Federal Pell Grant, you must be enrolled and attending at least half-time for financial aid eligibility.
  • For undergraduate students, half-time for financial aid purposes is at least 6 SCH in the fall, spring, and summer term.
  • For graduate students, half-time for financial aid purposes is at least 5 SCH in the fall and spring term and at least 3 SCH in the summer term.
• The classes taken must be:
  • required for you to complete your degree.
  • enrolled in by the Census Date for the full-term session.
• If you are enrolled in classes required to obtain certification as a teacher in Texas or you are enrolled in undergraduate classes which are prerequisite to being considered for admission into a graduate program, you may be eligible for the federal Direct Loan program.
• Classes not considered for financial aid eligibility are:
  • courses attempted at other colleges and universities.
  • secondary repeats of a course you have previously passed.

State and Institutional Aid Eligibility

You may be eligible for grants from the state of Texas or UT Dallas even if you are not a U.S. Citizen or an eligible non-citizen. To be eligible for these funds you must:

• Be classified as a resident of the state of Texas by the Office of the Registrar (for state aid);
• Be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at UT Dallas;
• Demonstrate financial need;
• Be registered with Selective Service, if you are male (you must register between the ages of 18 and 25) and not otherwise exempt from registration;
• Be enrolled at least half-time; and
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.