ELIGIBILITY

To receive aid from any federal student aid program, you must generally meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrate financial need by completing and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). See Applying for Financial Aid.
  
• Demonstrate by one of the following means that you are qualified to enroll in postsecondary education:

                      *  Have a high school diploma or GED certificate.
                      *  Pass an approved ability-to benefit (ATB) test.
                      *  Meet other standards established by the state of New Jersey.
                      *  Complete a high school education in a home school setting approved under state laws. 

• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program.  You may not receive aid for correspondence or telecommunications courses unless they are part of your degree program.
  
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.  See citizenship.
  
• Have a valid social security number.  If you need a social security number, you can find out about applying for one at www.ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213.
  
• Meet the standards of satisfactory academic progress established by Bergen Community College. A copy of these standards is available at the Financial Aid Office and they are in addition to the Satisfactory or Conditional Academic Standing Regulations described in the Bergen Community College catalog.
  
• Certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes and that you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a previous federal student grant that you may have received.
  
• Comply with Selective Service registration requirements if required to do so.  If you are a male aged 18 through 25 and you haven't yet registered, you can give Selective Service permission to register you by checking a box on the FAFSA.  You can also register through the Internet at www.sss.gov or by calling 1-847-688-6888.
  
• Submit any required additional documents indicated by your Student Aid Report or as requested by Bergen Community College. The application process can take up to six weeks; therefore, students are urged to file the FAFSA and submit all required documents well before the application deadlines.