Do You Qualify for Federal Student Aid?
When determining if you get federal aid and should do the FAFSA, what matters is your citizenship status, not that of your parents. If you fall in one of the categories below, you are considered an “eligible noncitizen” and should do the FAFSA. If you do not, then do not do the FAFSA.
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1. You are a
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U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swains Island) or
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U.S. permanent resident with a Form I-551, I-151, or I-551C (Permanent Resident Card, Resident Alien Card, or Alien Registration Receipt Card), also known as a green card.
2. You have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing
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“Refugee,”
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“Asylum Granted,”
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“Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending),”
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“Conditional Entrant” (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980), or
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“Parolee” (you must be paroled for at least one year, and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are not in the United States for a temporary purpose and that you intend to become a U.S. citizen or permanent resident).
3. You hold a T-visa (for victims of human trafficking) or your parent holds a T-1 visa. Your college or career school’s financial aid office will ask to see your visa and/or certification letter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
4. You are a “battered immigrant-qualified alien” who is a victim of abuse by your citizen or permanent resident spouse, or you are the child of a person designated as such under the Violence Against Women Act.
5. You are a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau. If this is the case, you may be eligible for only certain types of federal aid.
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Citizens of the Republic of Palau are eligible for Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and Federal Work-Study.
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Citizens of the Federal States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are eligible for Federal Pell Grants only.
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Note: DACA and undocumented student do not qualify for federal financial aid, but may qualify for institutional or private aid.
I am an eligible non-citizen. Now what?​
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You can receive federal financial aid, including federal grant money, student loans, and federal work-study.
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In order to apply, fill out the FAFSA as an eligible non-citizen.
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Your FAFSA may also qualify you for state financial aid and/or financial aid from colleges.
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In addition to these types of aid, you can apply for private scholarships.
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I am NOT an eligible non-citizen. Now what?
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In many cases, you will not fill out the FAFSA. The FAFSA is an application for federal, state, and institutional aid. You will likely not be able to apply for federal or state aid, but may need to fill out the FAFSA to apply for institutional aid. See below for more details.
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You will not be able to receive financial aid from the federal government.
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The state of North Carolina will only provide financial aid to non-citizens who meet the requirements to be considered North Carolina residents for tuition purposes.
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NC does not consider DACA and undocumented students to be NC residents, so these student can not receive state financial aid in North Carolina.
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Non-eligible non-citizens can, however, get institutional financial aid from some colleges.
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Ask your colleges if you can apply for financial aid.
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Ask you colleges how to apply for institutional financial aid.
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They may ask you to complete the FAFSA as a non-eligible non-citizen​.
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They may ask you to complete the CSS Profile.
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They may ask you to complete a separate financial aid form.
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In addition to institutional aid, you may qualify for private financial aid and scholarships. Check the citizenship requirements of each scholarship. See the page on Scholarships for Non-US Citizens to start your search.
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