AwardYear: 1996-1997 EnterChapterNo: 2 EnterChapterTitle: Student Eligibility and Financial Need SectionNumber: SectionTitle: Introduction PageNumbers: 1-2 This chapter of The Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook describes the student eligibility requirements that affect the Student Financial Assistance (SFA) Programs. The calculation of financial need, a key determinant of student eligibility, is examined here, as are the details that pertain to documenting citizenship status and other eligibility criteria. Documentation necessary for proving citizenship status, a list of Student Aid Report (SAR) comments for matches and hold files, and the Selective Service's Status Information Letters appear in the appendices. RECENT CHANGES Relative to prior years, for the 1996-97 award year there have been only a few major changes relating to student eligibility. Within this chapter, noteworthy changes for 1996-97 have been flagged with margin notes. Following is a synopsis of these changes: - New ability-to-benefit regulations governing the approval and administration of tests used to determine a student's eligibility are in effect. - Application and reporting deadlines have changed. - The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Information Summary on the SAR has been revised to provide more information--a more comprehensive history--about the student's prior SFA funds. This summary may also be used as a financial aid transcript. - A student who applies electronically will now receive a "SAR Information Acknowledgement" rather than a regular two-part SAR. The SAR Information Acknowledgement contains the same type of information as that which appears on the regular two-part SAR. Schools where students apply electronically no longer must provide students with Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) for review. Students who apply electronically must make corrections electronically or must use two-part SARs, which may be requested from the FAFSA processor. - There is a change in the definition of "veteran" used to determine dependency status for SFA purposes. - A new citizenship match--in addition to the INS citizenship match--is now being performed by the Social Security Administration (SSA). - The Overpayment Hold File is no longer in use. (Information in these files has been incorporated in the NSLDS.) The FAFSA has been modified minimally, as has the SAR. - The School Use Box on the SAR has been revised: Schools no longer may report a recalculated EFC when professional judgment adjustments are made to a student's data. - Verification Worksheets are no longer mailed with SARs. Schools may use their own worksheets, may customize and print EDExpress worksheets, or may use the worksheet printed in Action Letter #6. - Certification statements now appear on the FAFSA. SARs no longer include these statements unless the SARs are flagged with Reject Comment 16. Because students must sign the certification statements on the FAFSA, schools no longer must separately collect and keep these statements. - The paper Pell Grant Payment Voucher (Part 3 of the SAR) has been eliminated. To report Pell Grant payment information in 1996-97, all institutions must use the Electronic Data Exchange (EDE), the Recipient Data Exchange, or the Floppy Disk Data Exchange. - An exception to the Secondary Confirmation requirement is in effect. |