Equivalency	Test	(HiSET)	or	the	Test	Assessing	Secondary	Completion	(TASC),	as	well	as	those	established	by	states,	for
example,	the	California	High	School	Proficiency	Exam	(CHSPE).	California	considers	a	passing	grade	on	the	CHSPE	to	be
equivalent	to	a	diploma.
<None	of	the	previous=	includes	those	who	have	the	recognized	equivalent	of	a	high	school	diploma	other	than	a	state-
recognized	certificate	or	who	may	qualify	under	the	Ability-to-Benefit	(ATB)	alternatives	(see	
Volume	1,	Chapter	1	of	the
FSA	Handbook	for	additional	information	on	ATB	alternatives).
If	the	student	selects	<High	School	Diploma,=	they	must	include	the	name,	city	and	state	(or	FC	for	foreign	country)	where
the	student	received	or	will	receive	their	diploma.	On	the	FAFSA	website,	the	student	can	use	city	and	state	to	search	for
their	high	school.	If	they	are	unable	to	find	their	high	school	using	the	search	functionality,	they	can	manually	enter	the
high	school	information.	If	the	student	selects	<State-recognized	high	school	equivalent,=	they	must	indicate	the
equivalent	type	(GED,	TASC,	HiSET,	or	Other)	and	the	issuing	state.	See	Volume	1,	Chapter	1	of	the	FSA	Handbook,
regarding	a	school9s	policy	about	checking	the	validity	of	a	high	school	diploma.
Federal	Benefits	Received	(18)
A	student	may	be	eligible	to	have	their	assets	excluded	from	the	SAI	calculation	if	they	(or	someone	in	their	family)
received	one	(or	more)	of	the	following	federal	benefits	during	the	2023	or	2024	calendar	years.
Earned	income	credit	(EIC)
Federal	housing	assistance
Free	or	reduced-price	school	lunch*
Medicaid
Refundable	credit	for	coverage	under	a	qualified	health	plan	(QHP)
Supplemental	Nutrition	Assistance	Program	(SNAP)
Supplemental	Security	Income	(SSI)
Temporary	Assistance	for	Needy	Families	(TANF)
Special	Supplemental	Nutrition	Program	for	Women,	Infants,	and	Children	(WIC)
*Some	individuals	may	receive	free	or	reduced-price	school	lunch	due	to	community	eligibility	rather	than	household
eligibility.	Students	should	only	indicate	they	received	free	or	reduced-price	school	lunch	on	the	FAFSA	form	if	they	meet
the	income	eligibility	guidelines	published	by	the	U.S.	Department	of	Agriculture.
Student	Tax	Filing	Status	(19)
This	three-part	question	asks	the	following:
1.	 If	the	student	did	(or	will)	file	a	2023	IRS	1040	or	1040-NR.
2.	 Whether	the	student	either	(1)	earned	income	in	a	foreign	country	in	2023,	(2)	worked	for	an	international
organization	in	2023	and	was	not	required	to	report	income	on	any	tax	return,	or	(3)	filed	a	2023	tax	return	in	Puerto
Rico	or	another	U.S.	territory.
3.	 Finally,	married	students	are	asked	if	they	filed	their	2023	tax	return	with	their	current	spouse.
Unmarried	students	who	answer	<no=	to	the	first	two	parts	of	the	question	are	considered	non-tax	filers	and,	if
independent,	do	not	need	to	answer	any	additional	questions	about	income	or	assets.	Married	students	who	answer	<no=
to	the	first	two	parts	of	the	question	will	still	need	to	provide	identity	and	contact	information	about	their	spouse.
Recognized	Equivalent	of	a	High	School	Diploma
34	CFR	600.2
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