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How to get
federal financial aid without a high school diploma
Federal
Student Aid Information Center - HELP
CENTER - For assistance, contact the FSA Customer Service Call Center
toll-free on 1-800-433-7327 if the items below do not answer your question
Yes, you can receive
financial aid and you can go through the FAFSA process, no matter what
your age is, even if you don't have a high school diploma.
1. A high school "DIPLOMA" is NOT required to receive
Federal Aid. It is also NOT required to fill out the FAFSA form and
get your SARS report.
2. It IS required that the student have the "EQUIVALENT"
of a high school diploma which is determined any number of ways. The
easiest way to prove the "equivalent" is to take and pass one of
the tests listed in the Financial Aid Handbook. NOTE: These
tests prove that the student has the "equivalent" of a high
school diploma FOR FINANCIAL AID PURPOSES ONLY!!!! The results of the test
cannot be used as a high school diploma.
3. The tests are called the ABILITY TO BENEFIT tests.
Look in the 2006-2007 FSA Booklet:
http://ifap.ed.gov/sfahandbooks/attachments/0607FSAHBkVol1Ch1.pdf
1. ASSET
program
Basic Skills Tests (Reading, Writing and Numberical) -- Forms B2, C2, D2,
and E2
Passing Score: Reading (35), Writing 35, and Numerical (33)
American College Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs
2201 North Dodge Street
PO Box 168
Iowa City, Iowa 52243
Contact: Dr. John D. Roth
Phone: 319-337-1030
FAX: 319-337-1790
2. Career Programs Assessment
(CPAT)
Basic Skills Subtests (Language Usage, Reading and Numerical) -- Forms B
and C.
Passing Score: Usage (42), Reading (43), and Numerical (41)
American College Testing (ACT), Placement
Assessment Programs
2201 North Dodge Street
PO Box 168
Iowa City, Iowa 52243
Contact: Dr. John D. Roth
Phone: 319-337-1030
FAX: 319-337-1790 3. Combined
English Language Skills Assessment (CELSA):
Forms 1 and 2
Passing Score: CELSA Form 1 (90)
and CELSA Form 2 (90)
Association of Classroom Teacher Testers (ACTT)
1187 Coast Village Road
PMB 378
Montecito, California 93108-2794
Contact: Pablo Buckelew
Phone: 805-965-5704
Fax: 805-965-5807
4. COMPASS Subtests:
Prealgebra/Numerical Skills
Placement, Reading Placement, and Writing Placement
Passing Score: Prealgebra/Numerical (25), Reading (62), and Writing
(32)
American College Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs
2201 North Dodge Street
PO Box 168
Iowa City, Iowa 52243
Contact: Dr. John D. Roth
Phone: 319-337-1030
FAX: 319-337-1790 5. Computerized
Placement Tests (CPTs)/Accuplacer:
(Reading Comprehension, Sentence
Skills, and Arithmetic)
Passing Score: Reading Comprehension (55), Sentence Skills (60), and
Arithmetic (34)
The College Board
45 Columbus Avenue
New York, New York 10023-6992
Contact: Ms. Suzanne Murphy
Phone: 405-842-9891
Fax: 405-842-9894
6. Descriptive Tests of
Language Skills (DTLS)
(Reading Comprehension, Sentence
Structure and Conventions of Written English) -- Forms M-K-3KDT and
M-K-3LDT; and Descriptive Tests of Mathematical Skills (DTMS) (Arithmetic)
-- Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-3LDT
Passing Score: Reading Comprehension (108), Sentence Structure (9),
Conventions of Written English (309), and Arithmetic (506)
The College Board
45 Columbus Avenue
New York, New York 10023-6992
Contact: Ms. Suzanne Murphy
Phone: 405-842-9891
Fax: 405-842-9894
7. Wonderlic
Skills Test (WBST):
Verbal Forms VS-1 & VS-2,
Quantitative Forms QS-1 &QS-2
Passing Score: Verbal (200) and Quantitative (210)
Wonderlic Personnel Test, Inc.
1795 N Butterfield Road
Libertyville, IL 60048
Contact Mr. David Teuber
Phone: 877-605-9499
Fax: 847-680-9492
8. WorkKeys Program - Reading
for Information Forms
A01AA, A02AA, C01AA, and D10AA;
Applied Mathematics Froms A01BB, A02BB, C01BB and D01BB
Passing Score: Reading and Information -- Forms A01AA (76), A02AA
(75), C01AA (77), and D10AA (77); Applied Mathematics -- Forms A01BB
(73), A02BB (74), C01BB (73), and D01BB (73) American
College Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs
2201 North Dodge Street
PO Box 168
Iowa City, Iowa 52243
Contact: Dr. A. Candace Noble
Phone: 319-337-1296
FAX: 319-337-1229
If you pass one of the
above tests, then you will be able to recieve federal financial aid just
as any traditional student does.
YOU MUST SHOW PROOF: Once you take the test, get a copy of the
scores, the name of the test center and a contact person. FAFSA
requires that you show proof by taking one out a list of tests that is
detailed in the Federal Student Aid Handbook. Passing one of these
tests will satisfy FAFSA that you have the equivalent of a high school
diploma, but the test scores probably cannot be used as proof of a high
school education at other organizations.
You may also demonstrate the equivalent of a high school diploma with a
GED General Education Diploma, but a GED is not required if you pass one
of the above tests.
You find the above
information in the Federal Student Aid Handbook
for the year you will attend college. Find it at this link:
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/IFAPWebApp/currentSFAHandbooksPag.jsp
In
the handbook, look under "Student Eligibility"
Then
find "School Determined Requirements" and it will explain what
you need to get federal financial aid without a diploma.
NEXT STEP: After you pass one of the tests, fill out your FAFSA and
where it asks you if you have graduated from high school, select the radio
button that says YES. Although you have not actually graduated with
a diploma, the manager at FAFSA told me that is how it is done when
someone goes the "Ability to Benefit" route. If you are
uncomfortable with this, call FAFSA and speak with a manager. Tell
them where in the handbook you found the information. They probably
will NOT KNOW WHAT ABILITY TO BENEFIT IS....... YOU WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN
IT TO THEM. With that said, all of this is 100% legal and people do
it all the time. Lauren did it for all of her years of
college. It's just that it is unusual and most workers don't have
knowledge of it.
Good luck!
For
a more detailed explanation on the process from someone who has actually
done this, buy the book You're
gonna miss the prom? by Lauren and Donna Betancourt from Amazon,
Barnes and Noble or Books a Million. Click
here to see the book. |
