Federal student aid programs require that you be a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program. The Financial Aid Office will check school records to be sure students have been officially admitted to a degree program before offering student assistance.

If you have to take pre-requisite courses before you can be admitted to the degree program, you may receive the Federal Direct Stafford Loans for one year to help cover the cost of these courses. You must let the Financial Aid Office know you are doing this, because additional information is required. The Federal Direct Stafford Loan is the only Federal student aid program available for this exception.

If you are trying to complete teacher certification requirements without receiving a degree or certificate from the college, you may apply for the Federal Direct Stafford Loan or Work-Study. You must be enrolled at least half-time, and the courses must be required for state teaching certification; they cannot be optional courses. Contact the Financial Aid Office to find out what documentation is needed for your file to show the courses are required by your state for teacher certification.

If you already have one bachelor’s degree and are pursuing a second undergraduate degree, you may apply for the Federal Direct Stafford Loan or Work-Study. Grant programs are no longer available to someone who has already received an undergraduate degree. To receive a Stafford Loan or Work-Study, you must actually be receiving a second degree; you can’t be enrolled to add other courses or a different field of study, etc., to your transcript credentials without completing a second degree. Contact the Financial Aid Office to see what additional forms are needed for your financial aid application.