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Eligibility for most financial aid programs is determined on the basis of financial need and on several other factors. Basically, to receive aid from most programs, you must meet the following criteria:

You must demonstrate financial need (not a criterion for some scholarships and some loans)

Student Financial Aid Services (SFAS) constructs yearly cost-of-attendance (COA) budgets that include tuition, fees, housing and food (or living expenses), books, course materials, supplies, & equipment, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. The COA varies according to enrollment level and state residency. As a financial aid applicant, you and your family have primary responsibility for contributing to the total cost of your education. The information that you and your family report on the FAFSA is used in a formula established by US Congress to determine your Student Aid Index (SAI). SAI is an eligibility index number that the financial aid office uses to determine how much federal aid student is eligible to receive.

Financial aid attempts to fill the gap between your SAI and the yearly COA. The difference between the SAI and the COA is defined as financial need. If you're eligible, you may be awarded financial aid through a combination of grants and scholarships (which you won't have to repay), loans (which you will have to repay), and work-study (part-time employment on or off campus). These combinations of awards are referred to as financial aid packages. Keep in mind that, because of the variation of the COA, financial aid packages will vary as well.

Total aid—including scholarships, grants, federal work-study, loans, and other educational resources (such as tuition remission and veteran's benefits)—cannot exceed the total COA, whether the student aid was administered through SFAS or some other source. In cases where a student receives funds from certain federal student-aid programs, total financial aid may not exceed his or her demonstrated financial need.