Effective with the 2012-13 award year, new students who do not have a high school diploma, or an equivalent such as a GED, or who did not complete secondary school in a homeschool setting are not eligible for title IV funds. However, students who were enrolled in an eligible educational program of study at a postsecondary institution before July 1, 2012 may continue to be considered Title IV eligible under either the ATB test or 6 credit hour standards. Such students can become eligible by passing an approved "ability-to-benefit" test or by satisfactorily completing at least six credit hours or 225 clock hours of college work that is applicable to a degree or certificate offered by the student's postsecondary institution.
