If you have students who are not U.S. citizens and want to find out if they can receive federal student aid, point them to StudentAid.gov/noncitizen for a list of the noncitizen categories that qualify for federal student aid.
Tip: If the student provides background information, it's often easier to find out what category the student will fall in, rather than reviewing each categoriey.
Eligible Noncitizen Students
Parents' U.S. Citizenship or Immigration Status
Parent and Social Security Number
Financial Aid for Undocumented Students
Eligible Noncitizen Students
On the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, an eligible noncitizen student should select the "Eligible noncitizen" option under the "Student Citizenship" section.
Tip: During the application process, students will be asked about their citizenship or immigration status. Walk students through the question on the FAFSA form by using screenshots from the FAFSA Preview Presentations available on the Toolkit's Search Financial Aid Tools and Resources" page. Knowing how the question will be asked will help them prepare.
Talking point: If you're an eligible noncitizen and report an A-number (also known as Alien Registration Number) on the FAFSA form, that information is checked against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's database. If the match doesn't confirm you're an eligible noncitizen, you'll have to submit immigration documentation to the college or career school you plan to attend for review. You're not eligible for federal student aid until your status as an eligible noncitizen is resolved.
Parents' U.S. Citizenship or Immigration Status
The parents' immigration status is not considered in determining the student's eligibility for federal student aid.
Talking points:
- When the FAFSA form is processed, only the student's citizenship/eligible noncitizen eligibility is verified.
- The FAFSA form does not ask about your parent's citizenship status.
Note: Parents' U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen matters when the parent of a dependent undergraduate wants to take out a Direct PLUS Loan or if the parent wants to go to college or career school as a student.
Parent and Social Security Number
The parent doesn't need a Social Security number (SSN) for the student's FAFSA form. Parents can get a StudentAid.gov account without having an SSN to access and complete their section of the student's FAFSA form.
On the FAFSA form, if the parent is completing their own section and doesn't have an SSN, the SSN will be blank and disabled. If the parent has an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), they should add it to the FAFSA form in the ITIN field only. If the parent doesn't have an ITIN, they should leave that question blank.
Financial Aid for Undocumented Students
If the student is neither a U.S. citizen nor an eligible noncitizen, they are not eligible for federal student aid. You can help them find possible sources of aid via StudentAid.gov/noncitizen. Listservs for counselors and college access professionals can be a good source of information on which colleges or career schools provide aid for undocumented students.
Undocumented Students and Financial Aid(Result Type: General)
Description:
Web page providing answers to frequently asked questions about financial aid for undocumented students and DACA recipients.
Resource Type:
Web Resource or Tool
Also
Available in: Spanish(Result Type: General)