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Explains ATB alternatives for learners without a high school diploma or equivalent: passing an approved exam, completing six college credits (or 225 clock hours), or following a state-defined process, and notes what student aid does and does not cover.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/","Healthcare",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/ability-to-benefit-atb-dual-enrollment-for-adult-learners/389539/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/ability-to-benefit-atb-dual-enrollment-for-adult-learners/389539.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Mimi","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-02","2026-09-25",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is Ability to Benefit (ATB) and why does it matter for adult learners?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"ATB is a pathway that allows students without a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for federal student financial aid through approved alternatives. In dual enrollment, it supports access to postsecondary education and career training by demonstrating the ability to benefit.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What federal requirements must a student meet to be eligible for financial aid under ATB?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"A student must submit a FAFSA and meet conditions such as financial need (for most programs), eligible citizenship status, a valid Social Security number, registration with Selective Service if applicable, enrollment in an eligible degree or certificate program, and maintaining satisfactory academic progress. The student must also sign the FAFSA certification and show qualification via a diploma/equivalent, homeschool completion, or an ATB alternative through a career pathway.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What are the ATB alternatives and what is covered or not covered?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"ATB alternatives include passing an approved Department of Education exam, completing at least six college credits (or 225 clock hours) toward an eligible credential, or following a state-defined process. Federal aid can pay for postsecondary coursework and cost of attendance, while remedial or developmental coursework is not covered.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},389539,1790890437,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,110,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":126},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":130},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":132},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":133,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":107,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":108,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},2336477974920,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Ability to Benefit  \nDual Enrollment for Adult Learners  \nErin Berg, US Department of Education Community College Program Specialist  \nJudy Mortrude, World Education Senior Technical Advisor  \nToday’s Discussion  \n• What is Ability to Benefit (ATB) and why does it matter?  \n• How to use ATB in coordination with career pathways?  \n• Adult education program examples that fit ATB criteria  \n• What stops use of ATB?  \n• Discussion on current work, possibilities, challenges  \nAbility to Benefit Timeline  \nFederal Financial Aid Requirements  \nTo be eligible for federal student financial aid a student must submit a FAFSA and meet all the following:  \n• Demonstrate financial need (for most programs);  \n• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen;  \n• Have a valid Social Security number;  \n• Be registered with Selective Service (males)  \n• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment asa regular student in an eligible degree or  \ncertificate program;  \n• Maintain satisfactory academic progress;  \n• Sign the certification statement on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), and  \n• Show that they are qualified to obtain a college or career school education by:  \n• Having a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent  \n• Completing a homeschool program  \n• Enrolling in a career pathway program and completing one of the “Ability to Benefit”alternatives  \nWhat are the ATB Alternatives?  \nIndividuals lacking high school diploma or equivalency (HSD/E) can access federal student aid when they have  \n• Passed an exam approved by the Department of Education  \n• or completed 6 credits (or 225 clock hours) toward a credential  \n• or followed a state defined process  \n• and are enrolled in an “eligible career pathway program”  \nPassing an Approved ATB Test  \n“The student shall take an independently administered examination and shall achieve a score, specified by the Secretary, demonstrating that such student can benefit from the education or training being offered. Such examination shall be approved by the Secretary on the basis of compliance with such standards for development, administration, and scoring as the Secretary may prescribe in regulations.”  \n• Students must score above a set “cut score” on one of the following tests:  \n• Test: Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST)  \n• Test: Spanish Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (Spanish WBST)  \n• Test: Combined English Language Skills Assessment (CELSA)  \n• Test: ACCUPLACER (Reading Comprehension, Sentence Skills and Arithmetic)  \n• Tests last updated in GEN DCL 15-09 released June, 2015. Refer to that announcement for further information.  [https://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN1509.html](https://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN1509.html)  \nCompleting Six College Credits  \n“Completing at least 6 credit hours or 225 clock hours that are applicable toward a Title IV-eligible degree or certificate offered by the postsecondary institution (neither remedial nor developmental coursework count toward this requirement. The coursework must demonstrate that the student has the ability to benefit from the postsecondary program in which the student is enrolled or intends to enroll, but need not be applicable to the specific degree or program in which the student is enrolled) .”  \nState Defined Process  \n“The student shall be determined as having the ability to benefit from the education or training in accordance with such process as the State shall prescribe. Any such process described or approved by a State for the purposes of this section shall be effective 6 months after the date of submission to the Secretary unless the Secretary disapproves such process. In determining whether to approve or disapprove such process, the Secretary shall take into account the effectiveness of such process in enabling students without secondary school diplomas or the equivalent thereof to benefit from the instruction offered by institutions utilizing such process, and shall also take into account the cultural diversity, economi","cbCainSZcwMxrtw2","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCainSZcwMxrtw2","pdf",1756492,"English","# Today’s Discussion\n## Ability to Benefit Timeline\n## Federal Financial Aid Requirements\n## What are the ATB Alternatives?\n## Passing an Approved ATB Test\n## Completing Six College Credits\n## State Defined Process\n## What can students receive?","[{\"question\":\"What is Ability to Benefit (ATB) and why does it matter for adult learners?\",\"answer\":\"ATB is a pathway that allows students without a high school diploma or equivalent to qualify for federal student financial aid through approved alternatives. In dual enrollment, it supports access to postsecondary education and career training by demonstrating the ability to benefit.\"},{\"question\":\"What federal requirements must a student meet to be eligible for financial aid under ATB?\",\"answer\":\"A student must submit a FAFSA and meet conditions such as financial need (for most programs), eligible citizenship status, a valid Social Security number, registration with Selective Service if applicable, enrollment in an eligible degree or certificate program, and maintaining satisfactory academic progress. The student must also sign the FAFSA certification and show qualification via a diploma/equivalent, homeschool completion, or an ATB alternative through a career pathway.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the ATB alternatives and what is covered or not covered?\",\"answer\":\"ATB alternatives include passing an approved Department of Education exam, completing at least six college credits (or 225 clock hours) toward an eligible credential, or following a state-defined process. Federal aid can pay for postsecondary coursework and cost of attendance, while remedial or developmental coursework is not covered.\"}]","Ability to Benefit (ATB) - Dual Enrollment for Adult Learners | PDF",1790323524,101]