Examples	of	eligible	noncitizen	categories	are	given	in	the	FAFSA	instructions,	and	a	detailed	discussion	of	citizenship
issues	can	be	found	in	Volume	1	of	the	FSA	Handbook.	Only	U.S.	citizens	or	certain	classes	of	noncitizens	are	eligible	for
Title	IV	aid;	however,	other	students	can	still	submit	the	FAFSA	form	because	they	might	be	eligible	for	aid	from
institutional,	state,	or	private	sources	that	do	not	have	the	same	requirements	but	use	FAFSA	information.
Students	who	select	<Eligible	noncitizen=	should	include	their	A-Number,	if	they	have	one.
Student	State	of	Legal	Residence	(14)
This	is	used	to	determine	which	poverty	guideline	to	use	when	evaluating	eligibility	for	a	Maximum	or	Minimum	Pell	Grant
for	an	independent	student.
This	is	also	used	to	determine	which	state	agency	should	receive	the	student9s	FAFSA	information.	States	have	varying
criteria	for	determining	whether	the	student	is	a	resident	for	purposes	of	their	financial	aid.	However,	residing	in	one	state
for	five	years	(or	more)	will	meet	any	state9s	criteria.
Parent	Education	Status	(15)
Some	state	agencies	and	institutions	use	this	information	to	award	grants	and	scholarships.
Parent	Killed	in	the	Line	of	Duty	(16)
A	student	may	be	eligible	for	a	Maximum	Pell	Grant	if	they	have	a	parent	or	guardian	who	died	in	the	line	of	duty	while
either	(1)	serving	on	active	duty	as	a	member	of	the	U.S.	armed	forces	on	or	after	September	11,	2001,	or	(2)	performing
official	duties	as	a	public	safety	officer.	You	should	evaluate	students	who	select	<Yes=	to	this	question	for	additional	Pell
Grant	eligibility	under	HEA	Sec.	401(c).	See	Volume	7	of	the	FSA	Handbook	for	additional	guidance.
Student	High	School	Information	(17)
The	student	indicates	one	of	the	following	high	school	completion	statuses:
High	school	diploma
State-recognized	high	school	equivalent	(e.g.,	GED	certificate)
Homeschooled
None	of	the	previous
A	foreign	secondary	education	credential	typically	counts	as	a	high	school	diploma.
A	state-recognized	high	school	equivalent	is	what	students	receive	after	passing	a	<state	authorized	examination.=	This
includes	tests	comparable	to	the	GED4i.e.,	those	created	and	distributed	by	a	test	publisher4such	as	the	High	School
Special	Rule
HEA	Sec.	401(c),	as	amended	by	the	FAFSA	Simplification	Act
Foreign	High	School	Diploma
FHD-Q1	on	the	program	integrity	website
{"producer": "GPL Ghostscript 10.00.0", "creator": "wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6", "creationdate": "D:20241217172423Z00'00'", "moddate": "D:20241217172423Z00'00'", "source": "data/raw/Applications_and_Verification_Guide.pdf", "total_pages": 76, "page": 19, "page_label": "20", "loader_type": "pdf", "load_timestamp": "2025-07-05T11:43:14.400101"}