Q.
I know that dual nationals living abroad who acquired their American citizenship through an American parent can apply for financial aid. But what about those students who happened to have been born in the US because their parents were there at the time? Even though they and their parents aren’t taxpayers, are they still eligible?
What about if their parents worked in the United States for a few years and paid taxes during that time but no longer do? Do their few years of contribution count for anything? Or if a child acquired American citizenship through his or her American father, but the father has long since left without word of his whereabouts?
A.
To be eligible for federal student aid, a student must be a US citizen, permanent resident or one of a small set of eligible noncitizen statuses (e.g., a citizen of the Freely Associated States and people granted asylum, among others). Their parents do not need to be US citizens or permanent residents for the student to be eligible for federal student aid. However, non-US parents will not be eligible to borrow from the Parent PLUS loan program. Applicants who file a foreign income tax return should use the information from that income tax return to complete the FAFSA after converting all financial figures to US dollars using the exchange rate in effect on the application date.
The student will need a Social Security Number and may be asked for proof of citizenship. It will avoid a lot of headaches if the student submits DHS Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, before submitting SSA Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, to ensure that their citizenship status is associated with their Social Security number. Otherwise they will need to contact the Social Security Administration to update their records to ensure that the citizenship match is successful.
Having a Social Security number or US driver’s license is not considered proof of citizenship, since a student does not need to be a US citizen or national to have one. The student can also prove citizenship with a copy of a birth certificate showing that the student was born in the US, a US passport or passport card, or a variety of other documents. The college financial aid administrator should be familiar with the required documentation.
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