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Citizenship Requirements

Citizens and Eligible Non-Citizens

A student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen to be eligible for federal or state student aid.   State aid programs (HOPE Grant, HOPE Scholarship) also require the eligible non-citizen status to have been granted 12 months prior to the first day of classes of the term for which the student wishes to receive the state aid.

To be considered for financial assistance administered by the Office of Student Financial Aid, you must have one of the following citizenship or eligible resident classifications:

1. U.S. Citizen
2. U.S. National (includes natives of American Samoa and Swain’s Island)
3. U.S. Permanent Resident who has:
   1. A Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551 since 1997), or
   2. A Resident Alien Card (Form I-551 before 1997), or
   3. An Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-151, issued prior to June 1978), or
   4. An Arrival/Departure Record (CBP Form I-94) or the new Departure Record (Form I-94A with the endorsement "Processed for I-551. Temporary Evidence of Lawful Admission for Permanent Residence. Valid until (Date Cannot Have Passed). Employment Authorized.", or
   5. A machine readable immigrant visa (MRIV) in the holder’s passport. The MRIV will have an admission stamp, and the statement “UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR” which appears directly above the machine readable section. An MRIV with this statement, contained in an unexpired foreign passport and endorsed with the admission stamp, constitutes a temporary I-551, valid for one year from the date of endorsement on the stamp.
   6. A United States Travel Document (mint green cover), which replaces the Reentry Permit (Form I-327) and the Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571). It is used by lawful permanent residents (as well as refugees and asylees) and is annotated with "Permit to Reenter Form I-327 (Rev. 9-2-03)."
4. Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia and the republics of Palau and Marshall Islands.

   Note: Citizens of Palau are eligible only for the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant or Federal Work-Study (FWS). Citizens of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands are only eligible for the Federal Pell Grant.

5. For eligible noncitizens other than permanent residents:
   1. Refugees with a Form I-94 or I-94A annotated with a stamp showing admission under Section 207 of the Immigration Nationality Act (INA). Also acceptable is the old Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571) or the new U.S. Travel Document cited in paragraph 3.f. above annotated with "Refugee Travel Document Form I-571 (Rev. 9-2-03)."
   2. Asylees with a Form I-94 or I-94A and a stamp reflecting admission under Section 208 of the INA, or the same travel documents cited in 5.a. above. Note: A refugee or an asylee may apply for permanent resident status and may have an I-94 that includes the endorsement "209a (or 209b) pending. Employment Authorized." These students are eligible for federal student aid funds if the I-94 has not expired.
   3. Parolees with a Form I-94 or I-94A with a stamp indicating they have been paroled into the United States for at least one year, with a date that has not expired.
   4. Cuban-Haitian entrants with a Form I-94 indicating they have been classified as a “Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending). Reviewable January 15, 1981. Employment authorized until January 15, 1981.” This document is valid even if the expiration date has passed. However, if the I-94 is stamped "applicant for permanent residence", the Cuban-Haitian entrant is not eligible for federal student aid and must request documentation of permanent residency status from the USCIS.
   5. Victims of Human Trafficking are entitled to the same benefits as refugees under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (VTVPA).  Because this status is certified by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and not the DHS, these students must submit their certification or eligibility letter from the HHS to us for review and subsequent contact with the Office of Refugee Resettlement.  The spouse, child or parent of a trafficking victim might be eligible for aid, but will have a T-visa (e.g., T-2 or T-3) which must be submitted to us along with the certification letter.

Students applying for federal Title IV aid as eligible non-citizens whose citizenship status is not electronically confirmed by the FAFSA process must provide the financial aid office with documentation. The financial aid office will then initiate a secondary confirmation process with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The confirmation of an eligible citizenship status must be received before students can be awarded any aid.

Ineligible NON-Citizens  

A student does not meet the Citizenship Requirements, for purposes of Financial Aid awards if the student is a non-citizen with an F1 or F2 student Visa, a J1 or J2 exchange visitor Visa, a G series Visa, or any other classification not included in the definition of an eligible non-citizen in Federal Title IV Regulations.