Major changes in college financial aid for 2012 will result in new difficulties gaining aid, particularly for students without a GED or high school diploma.

According to OCCC’s Financial Aid Office’s website, after June 30 “students without a high school diploma or GED will no longer be eligible for federal financial aid and grants.”

This change to financial aid will result in students not being able to apply for financial aid at all without a GED or high school diploma, at any educational institution, according to the website.

Students seeking financial aid without a GED or high school diploma have options here at OCCC. GED classes at OCCC’s Family and Community Education Center (FACE) are an option to students at all levels, according to the website.

Admissions advisers at OCCC are here to help with these types of issues. Students looking for assistance in getting their GED are encouraged to meet with an adviser in order to get a few steps closer to their goal.

According to Federal Student Aid website, students who have a completed high school education through homeschooling are eligible for financial aid, as approved under state law.

Other requirements for financial aid, along with needing a GED or high school diploma, include being a U.S. citizen, having a valid social security number and maintaining satisfactory academic progress along with several other requirements, according to Federal Student Aid’s list of basic eligibility criteria. The list can be seen at http://studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility/basic-criteria.

For more information, visit the Financial Aid Office’s website at www.occc.edu/financialaid/.

For more information, visit Federal Student Aid’s website at http://studentaid.ed.gov/.

To contact Paris Burris, email onlineeditor@occc.edu.