To be eligible for most federal aid programs, students must be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens as defined below.
A U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swains Island), U.S. permanent resident (who has an I-151, I-551 or I-551C), or an individual who has an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing one of the following designations:
- "Refugee"
- "Asylum Granted"
- "Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending)"
- "Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980).
- Victims of human trafficking, T-visa holder
- "Parolee" (you must be paroled into the United States for at least 1 year and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and that you intend to become a U.S. citizen or permanent resident).
For more information on Non U.S. Citizen Financial Aid Qualifications - Click here.
Not an Eligible Non-Citizen
There are still some types of financial aid available to study in the U.S. There may be some scholarships and other aid you can get.
- Check with your country's embassy or a consulate here in the U.S. or with the appropriate government office back in your country to see what they offer.
- Try the U.S. Department of Labor's free online scholarship search.
- Check out the Education USA website.
- Or visit Federal Student Aid (FSA) for more information.