Generally to be eligible for aid you must be a matriculated student in an approved degree or certificate program. The only exception is for non-matriculated students who are taking courses required for admission into an approved degree or certificate program. If you are taking courses required for admissions and document that with our office, then you can be considered for the federal Stafford/Ford Direct Student Loan programs for a period of 12 consecutive months. You must be enrolled in at least 6 credits of required prerequisites per quarter to qualify for aid. You will be limited to borrowing up to a maximum of $8625 per year for undergraduate preparatory coursework. The actual amount you can borrow will depend upon your dependency status, costs and financial need.

To document your eligibility for these funds, you must submit a statement from your academic advisor of the courses required for admissions to your intended program.

You can download the Preparatory Coursework Instructions for more information.