Financial Aid Eligibility and Need Determination

General Requirements to Qualify for Financial Aid

In order to be eligible for financial aid, you must fulfill the following requirements:

  • You have a high school diploma, GED® or high school equivalency, or meet Ability to Benefit criteria (Contact the Master Achiever Center if you do not have a high school diploma or GED® to see if you qualify for the Ability to Benefit program)
  • Plan to complete a college degree or certificate program that is at least 25 credits at Green River College
  • Not in default on a federal student loan, do not owe a refund on a federal grant and use aid only for educational purposes
  • Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress toward your program

How financial need is determined

If you meet the basic eligibility criteria, the Financial Aid office will determine your Financial Need; most financial aid programs require you to have Financial Need.

Financial Need is a calculation based on information you provide on the FAFSA/WASFA. Your Financial Need is determined based on the following formula:

Financial Need = Cost of Attendance (COA) minus Student Aid Index (SAI)

For instance, the Cost of Attendance (COA) for residents living at home is $11,601 and the Student Aid Index (SAI) is $2,000 then the student's financial need is $9,601.

Cost of Attendance (Budget) $11,601
-  SAI          $2,000
= Need       $9,601

In most cases, we are not permitted to award you aid that exceeds your COA or exceeds your Financial Need for certain types of aid.

Learn more about eligibility requirements on the Federal Student Aid website.

Cost of Attendance

Your Cost of Attending is the amount of money we estimate you will need for tuition, books, and living expenses for the 9-month academic year (Fall, Winter and Spring quarters). See Green River's tuition and fees. Student budgets include only your educational costs; other family members' expenses cannot be included in the budget.  See detailed Green River's Cost of Attending.

Student Aid Index (SAI)

Your Student Aid Index (SAI) is a number the college uses to determine your financial aid funding. The information you report on your FAFSA is used to calculate your SAI according to a formula established by law.  It is primarily determined by your family's taxed and untaxed income, assets, benefits (such as unemployment or Social Security), your family size and the number of family members who will attend college during the year.

The initial SAI may be revised, based on actual tax return information or other documents submitted. Your SAI does not vary from school to school.  Your financial need, however, will vary according to each school's Cost of Attendance.