Financial Aid Basics

Who Is Eligible for Federal Aid?

You may be eligible to apply institutional need-based grants and federal financial aid (grants, work-study, and loan programs) if you meet the following requirements:

• Formal admission into a degree or certificate program
• Comply with TU's Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for financial aid students.
• Have U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen status
• Have a valid social security number
• Register for Selective Service, if required
• You must sign both of the following certification statements that are included in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):
  • You must certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.
  • You must certify that you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a federal student grant.
    
• Many of these aid programs also require financial need.
• The following federal aid programs do not require financial need:
  • Federal TEACH Grant
  • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
  • Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (Parent PLUS Loan)
  • Federal PLUS Loan for Graduate Students (Graduate PLUS Loan)

For more information about eligibility requirements for individual aid programs, visit:

• Types of Financial Aid
  

Loss of Federal Aid Eligibility Due to Drug Convictions

The Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended (HEA) suspends aid eligibility for students who have been convicted under federal or state law of the sale or possession of drugs, if the offense occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving federal student aid (grants, loans, and/or work-study). If you have a conviction(s) for these offenses, to find out how this law applies to you, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or complete the following drug conviction eligibility worksheet:

• Student Aid Eligibility Worksheet for Question 23

If you have lost federal student aid eligibility due to a drug conviction, you can regain eligibility if you pass two unannounced drug tests conducted by a drug rehabilitation program that complies with criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education.

Financial Aid Office
Enrollment Services, Room 339
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Reception Desk)
            Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Financial Aid Call Center)

Phone: 410-704-4236
Fax: 410-704-2584
E-mail: finaid@towson.edu