Pop Quiz – Do We Need Proof of Ability-to-Benefit?

Question:

School B has a student who transferred from School A with an associate degree. The student graduated from a foreign high school and does not have proof of a high school diploma or equivalent. The student began taking college level courses at School A in 2014. Does School B need confirmation of a completed ability-to-benefit (ATB) test to verify high school completion? 

Answer:

No, an ABT is not required in this instance.  The associate degree satisfies the need for a recognized high school equivalent. A student without a high school diploma may still qualify for Title IV aid if that student has the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma. One of the equivalents is the successful completion of a two-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor's degree. This information is found in the Application and Verification Guide in the FSA Handbook. 

If the 60 credits of coursework meet your admission requirements and was completed by a student enrolled in a bachelor's degree program, even if those credits were completed at another institution, the student would be considered to have the equivalent of a high school diploma. If the 60 credits of coursework were completed by a student enrolled in an associate program, the high school diploma requirement will have been met if the student either completed the associate program or, if the student did not graduate, had at least 60 of the credits completed that would have been transferable toward completing bachelor's degree requirements.

Publication Date: 2/12/2019