Ability to Benefit

The Federal Department of Education (DOE) requires that students who apply for federal Title IV financial aid funds demonstrate their Ability to Benefit (ATB) from higher education. Students who have a high school diploma and those with certified GED diplomas have done so by their educational achievement. Those without a high school diploma or approved equivalent may demonstrate their ability to benefit by achieving a passing score on one of eight approved tests. The passing score varies between tests, and is set by the test publisher under DOE guidelines.

The Yuba College Placement Examination CPTS Reading Comprehension, Sentence Skills, and Arithmetic tests are among the approved tests. Students who achieve a score of 52 in Reading Comprehension, 60 in Sentence Skills, and 34 in Arithmetic have met the ability to benefit criteria. Students must pass all three tests in one testing session, even if they may have previously passed one or two.

All students, of course, may test 3 times within a two year period, and only twice in a semester with 14 day waiting period between test. Students who must meet ATB standards will be permitted additional retests only after they demonstrate that they have studied the failed subject area adequately to create a reasonable chance that their scores will improve sufficiently. All additional ATB retests must be approved by the Director of Research and Assessment.

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