Obtaining a federal grant will require you to meet certain eligibility criteria, such as having citizenship or another acceptable status and having certain grades while you are in college. Some requirements may vary according to the type of grant that you have.

In order to receive federal grant money, you must be a citizen of the United States or a qualifying noncitizen and have a valid Social Security number. You must also be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an accepted degree or certificate program. Finally, you must maintain satisfactory grades in college or career school once you are enrolled.

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What Are the Requirements for Federal Grants?

Additionally, you must have a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. If you are male, you must register for Selective Service.

Keep in mind that once you get a grant, you will have to meet certain requirements in order to keep getting your grant money.

For example, if you have a Pell Grant, you must:

  • Continue to maintain your enrollment in a school in the United States.
  • Complete the FAFSA form in each year that you are enrolled.

Additionally, you can be eligible for 12 terms. Once those terms are over, you will no longer be eligible for a Pell Grant.

Now that you have determined that you meet these requirements, the only thing standing between you and thousands of dollars in free money for your education is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), an online form that takes just a few minutes to complete.

Continue to the next slide to learn more about the FAFSA application and how to complete the online form.