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
Student's Family Lives Outside the U.S.
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 Status" section.
Tip: During the application process, students will often be worried about how and when they 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 and may reduce any fear of completing the application or completing it wrong.
Talking point: If the student is an eligible noncitizen and reports an A-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 the student is an eligible noncitizen, the student will have to submit immigration documentation to the college or career school they plan to attend for review. A student is not eligible for federal student aid until the student's 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 a 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.
How Do I Complete the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form If My Parent Is a Noncitizen? video(Result Type: General)
Description:
Video explaining how students can complete the 2024–25 FAFSA form if their parent is a noncitizen.
Resource Type:
Video
Parent and Social Security Number
The parent doesn't need a Social Security number (SSN) for the student's FAFSA form. Parents can get an FSA ID (StudentAid.gov account username and password) without having an SSN to access and complete their section of the 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 they don't have an ITIN, they should leave that question blank.
Student's Family Lives Outside the U.S.
For the FAFSA form, the student or parent should enter the contributor's mailing address if
- they are inviting a contributor;
- they are prompted to enter the contributor's mailing address; and
- the contributor's mailing address is in Canada, a U.S. territory, or a military installation.
For the state question, the user should choose the appropriate country, U.S. territory, or military installation from the following list:
- American Samoa
- Canada (provinces are listed)
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Guam
- Marshall Islands
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Palau
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Military
Students and their contributors may need to complete additional steps in order to complete the FAFSA form if a contributor
- doesn't yet have a StudentAid.gov account,
- doesn't have an SSN, and
- has a foreign mailing address.
If mailing address information needs to be updated, the student, parent, and other contributors can update their information through their Account Settings after logging in to StudentAid.gov
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)