You must meet certain requirements to qualify for federal student aid (grants, work-study, and loans). 
Let s go over the basic eligibility criteria. 

Basic Eligibility Criteria 
Our basic eligibility requirements are that you must demonstrate financial need for most programs ; be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen ; have a valid Social Security number with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau ; be registered with Selective Service , if you re a male you must register between the ages of 18 and 25 ; be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program ; be enrolled at least half - time to be eligible for Direct Loan Program funds ; maintain satisfactory academic progress in college or career school ; sign the certification statement on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA form stating that you are not in default on a federal student loan , you do not owe money on a federal student grant , and you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes ; and show you re qualified to obtain a college or career school 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 homeschool setting approved under state law or if state law does not require a homeschooled student to obtain a completion credential completing a high school education in a homeschool setting that qualifies as an exemption from compulsory attendance requirements under state law; or enrolling in an eligible career pathway program and meeting one of the " ability - to - benefit " alternatives described below. Additional eligibility requirements can apply in certain situations including for non - U.S. citizens, students with criminal convictions, and students with intellectual disabilities. Some federal student aid programs hav

user: Good morning, how you doing?. I've thinking about getting a student aid, but need some info about what could i need for it.

assistant: Hey there, welcome. Indeed, need to meet some basic criteria to access federal aid, so we could go with those and see if you meet them.

user: Alright. I guess one of the obvious ones is to be an american citizen to apply, right?

assistant: That's correct. However, is not limited no U.S nationals only. Even noncitizen can apply, if they are eligible.

user: Oh, that's nice. Speak much about inclusion. Say, I just remember this, what are the ways to show I'm qualified to access higher education?

assistant: Do you mean something like an ability test? Because you have the ability to benefit test. Is that what you're looking for?

user: Yeah, correct, I think that should be the thing i need to know about.

assistant: Good. To be able for an ability to benefit test, which can be administered by a college, you had to be enrolled in college or career school prior July 1, 2012 or being currently enrolled in a eligible career pathway program.

user: Did you say before July 1st, aren't you?

assistant: That's right. The deadline was July 1, 2012.

user: O.k, got that written down. Hey, talking again about criteria, could you tell me more examples?

assistant: No problem. Another eligibility criteria is to have a valid Social Security number. This, however, doesn't apply for those student who are from certain regions, such as Marshall Islands Micronesia or Palau.