Qualifying for Financial Aid

To be eligible for federal and state programs, students must meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrate federal need (may not be required for some loan and institutional programs).
• Have a standard high school diploma, GED, or ATB (Ability to Benefit) on file.
• Be enrolled in a degree-seeking program.
• Not be in default or owe a repayment of Title IV funds.
• Have a valid Social Security number.
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen with permanent residency status and an alien registration ID number (may not be required for some institutional programs).
• The Office of Financial Aid facilitates the offering of federal aid for students via the FAFSA form which is located at studentaid.gov. If you are not a US citizen or an eligible noncitizen (hold a T-1 Visa or one of the following found here: https://studentaid.gov/help/eligible-noncitizen) Please contact International Admissions at intladmissions@georgiasouthern.edu or International Student Admissions and Programs (ISAP) at international@georgiasouthern.edu for further aid assistance.
• Be registered with the Selective Service (males between the ages of 18-25). (Only required for state programs. i.e. HOPE, Zell Miller, SAL, etc…)
• Have not borrowed in excess of loan limits under the Title IV program.
• Must be maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward degree completion.
• Must have all requested documentation on file before disbursements can be made.
• Only courses in the student’s program of study, per the DegreeWorks audit, will be eligible for financial aid.
•  Graduate students who are provisionally admitted to a program are not eligible for financial aid until they are no longer in a provisional status.

*Note: Post-Baccalaureate students who have a prior degree from Georgia Southern University are only eligible for financial aid if they are seeking a different degree. Students adding a major to an existing degree program, or just taking courses to improve GPA or for other reasons, are not eligible to receive federal financial aid.

Last updated: 3/22/2024