Fed Financial - Do you have to have good credit to apply for financial aid?

Do you have to have good credit to apply for financial aid?

Sorry if this may be obvious, but my credit is not that good due to a late late credit card. I am wanting to go back to school, but am not sure if I would be eligible for financial aid. Any info is appreciated. Thanks! :)

Public Comments

It would depend on how late we're talking. make arrangements to get caught up, and go apply. it never hurts to ask. good luck! anyone going back to school, should be admired:)
no, i just went through this and i was worried because my credit sucks! they dont do a credit check at all! hope i helped!
Federal student loans are not based on your credit. Anyone is eligibl;e as long as you are a half-time student or more. VB
You don't have to have great credit, but the better it is, the better chance you have to get it. If you are applying for federal aid credit is not a factor. The best bet is to find someone to co-sign for you that has really good credit.
NO... it dosent matter... the less you have the more you get...
no it may affect your ability to get student loans i.e. you'll need a cosigner but the FAFSA is free and isn't based on your credit. As long as you havn't let any school loans go into default you should still be elgible
Finacial aid means you need help ... so no. Its good you asked the question here and not in public where people will know you. Good luck at school. I hope you pick something that really makes you happy.
You should definately try for a Pell Grant first! You do not have to pay those back. If you are under 24 you will have to use your parents tax info. If you are older that 24 they will look at your tax info. To get financial aid through Sallie Mae and similar loan companies you will need a co-signer. You should ask your school about Pell grants for sure. FAFSA.gov
For financial aid that doesn't matter at all. Most students who are just going to college after high school don't even have a credit score established. If you want a student LOAN than that is a different story. Your parents would have to co-sign. But financial aid is not a loan it is free money, and you don't have to pay it back so they don't really care what your credit is.
no you don't need good credit to have fanicail aid. fanancial aid is for people who have low income in thieer family. if your a teen or in college and your parent don't make enough money then your intitled to get it. but if your parent only make a dollars above what you need to get fananical aid you will not get it. if your a adult you have to make a low income to get fananical aid. hope this help.
No, you don't have to have good credit. Here are the steps you need to take to get financial aid: 1) Fill out the FAFSA. This will determine if you are eligible for financial aid. Go here: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ 2) Once you are eligible for aid, choose a government-based student loan. The best loan to get is a Federal Perkins Loan. These have low interest rates and the government will help you pay it back as long as you stay enrolled in school. You also don't need a cosigner or good credit for it. For more info go here: http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/student_loans/perkins_student_loans.aspx 3) The next best loan to get is a Subsidized Stafford Loan. This has many of the same benefits as a Perkins Loan. Learn more here: http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/student_loans/subsidized_stafford_loan.aspx You can also try to get a grant or scholarship, which are both free money sources that you can use to pay for school, and you don't have to pay them back. You can read about grants here: http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/financial_aid/college_grants.aspx Here are sites that offer grants: http://www.fedmoney.org/ http://www.freegovmoney.net/ http://www.grants.gov/ You can read about scholarships here: http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/financial_aid/college_scholarship.aspx And here are some good sites that offer scholarships: http://www.findtuition.com/scholarships/ http://www.nextstudent.com/scholarship_search/scholarship_search.asp http://www.brokescholar.com/ http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp http://www.educationplanner.com/education_planner/paying_article.asp?sponsor=2859&articleName=Grants_and_Scholarships http://www.studentawards.com/ http://www.college-scholarships.com/ Good luck!