Eligibility

To receive Federal aid, you must meet the following eligibility requirements. If you have any questions about these requirements or if you think you may not meet one of them, please contact the school's Student Financial Services office at 1.888.646.4610.

• Demonstrate financial need, except for some federal loan programs
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Have a valid Social Security Number
• Make satisfactory academic progress (continuing students)
• Not be in default on a prior federal education loan or owe a repayment on a prior Federal grant
• To check on your previous Federal aid status go to: http://www.nslds.ed.gov/ 
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program
• Possess a high school diploma or GED certificate
• Comply with Selective Service registration requirements , if required
• To check on Selective Service go to: https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfVerification.aspx
• Not have been convicted of certain drug offenses
• Sign a statement of educational purpose and a certification statement on overpayment and default (both found on the FAFSA)
• Comply with school requirements regarding documentation necessary for verification

Determining dependency status
If you can answer "Yes" to any of the questions below you will be considered "independent" for Federal financial aid purposes, and your parents will not need to answer the parent questions on the FAFSA. If you answer "No" to all of these questions, you are considered to be "dependent" for Federal financial aid purposes. Not living with your parents or not being claimed by them on their tax forms does not determine your dependency status. Your parent(s) will need to complete the parent section of the form if you are classified as a "dependent" student for Federal financial aid purposes. A parent must also sign if they contributed information to the form.

• Were you born before January 1, 1984?
• Are you married? (Answer "Yes" if you are separated but not divorced.)
• Are you have children who received more than half of their support from you ?
• Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now through June 30, 2008?
• Are both of your parents deceased, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court ?
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

How federal aid is awarded
When you complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and indicate The Art Institute of California — Los Angeles as one of your school choices (School Code: 007236), we will be able to receive an ISIR (Institutional Student Information Report) electronically. The ISIR will contain an EFC - Expected Family Contribution. The EFC is determined by a set Federal formula, and relates to the amount that you (and your parents, if you are a dependent student) might be expected to pay for direct and indirect costs for one academic year. The EFC, in relation to your costs, is used by the school to determine your eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal SEOG, and the Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan. These aid types are referred to as "need based" aid.