General Loan Requirements/Regulations

To be eligible for Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Graduate PLUS Loan or Federal Parent PLUS Loan you must meet the following requirements.

Both students and parents:

  • Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Have a valid social security number


Students:

  • Must not be in default on a federal student loan
  • Must not owe money back on a federal grant to the U.S. Department of Education
    • 6 hours over 16 week semester
    • 3 hours over 8 week session
  • Student must have High School Diploma, GED, or have completed 6 credit hours at a higher education institution that are acceptable for transfer to Columbia College
  • Student must be degree seeking at Columbia College (and enrolled in and attending courses that count toward that degree)
  • Student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Student must not have had aid eligibility suspended due to federal or state drug conviction