Federal Financial Aid Eligibility

To qualify for federal student aid administered by Walden University’s Office of Financial Aid, you need to meet certain requirements. The general eligibility requirements are that you must

• be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen;
• have a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate or completed a high school education in an approved homeschool setting;
• be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program;
• be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Direct Loan program funds;
• be registered with Selective Service, if required;
• have a valid Social Security number (with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau);
• maintain satisfactory academic progress standards;
• sign the certification statement on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) stating that you are not in default on a federal student loan, you do not owe money on a federal student grant, and you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes; and
• not exceed the lifetime aggregates or annual loan limits without documentation that the debt has been reaffirmed.

Note: Be advised that a federal or state conviction for any offense involving the possession or sale of illegal drugs, during a period of enrollment for which a student is receiving Title IV financial aid, will affect your eligibility for federal student aid.

Changes in Eligibility

Federal financial aid is awarded based on an estimate of your eligibility. The Office of Financial Aid may have to cancel or reduce your financial aid before or after disbursement based on new information that becomes available after the time of awarding or disbursement. Learn more.

Maintaining Eligibility

In addition to meeting the general requirements for applying for federal financial aid, you must uphold certain requirements to maintain eligibility for federal aid according to Walden University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards. Learn more.

Enrollment Requirements

Whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, you must meet certain enrollment requirements to receive and maintain federal financial aid. Review the requirements.

Returning Financial Aid

If you are no longer eligible for federal financial aid, you may be responsible for returning a portion of an award to the federal aid program—a process known as Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4). Learn more.

Do you have questions about financial aid? If you haven’t yet applied to Walden, please contact an enrollment advisor at 855-646-5286 in the United States. If you are a current student, please contact a financial aid advisor at finaid@mail.waldenu.edu or call 1-800-WALDENU (1-800-925-3368).