Financial Aid, A to Z.
Found a word your’re not sure about? Here’s a list of some terms you might come
across along the way.
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EFA
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Estimated Financial Aid. This is the amount of financial aid a student will likely be eligible for. The figure is calculated based on all required financial aid forms. |
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Eligible Noncitizen
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You must be one of the following to receive federal student aid: – U.S. citizen – U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain’s Island) – U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551C (Permanent Resident Card) If you’re not in one of these categories, you must be an eligible noncitizen, and you must have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing one of the following designations: –"Refugee" –"Asylum Granted" –"Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending" –"Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980) –Victims of human trafficking, T-visa (T-2, T-3, or T-4, etc.) holder –"Parolee" (You must be paroled into the United States for at least one year and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and that you intend to become a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.) |
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Eligible Program
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A program of organized instruction or study that leads to an academic, professional, or vocational degree or certificate, or other recognized educational credential. To receive federal student aid, you must be enrolled in an eligible program*, with two exceptions: – If a school has told you that you must take certain course work to qualify for admission into one of its eligible programs, you can get a Stafford Loan for up to 12 consecutive months while you’re completing that preparatory course work. You must be enrolled at least half-time*, and you must meet the usual student aid eligibility requirements. – If you’re enrolled at least half time in a program to obtain a professional credential or certification required by a state for employment as an elementary or secondary school teacher, you can get a Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, a Stafford Loan, or your parents can get a PLUS Loan, while you’re enrolled in that program. |
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Expected Family Contribution
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Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the number that’s used to determine your eligibility for federal student financial aid. This number results from the financial information you provided in your FAFSA application. The EFC is calculated based on this information, showing the amount of money the family can reasonably be expected to contribute to their child's education. Your EFC is reported to you on your Student Aid Report (SAR). |