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Confirming Citizenship

Federal and institutional need-based aid may be granted to U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens only. As a FAFSA applicant, your eligibility is checked against the Social Security Administration and/or the Department of Homeland Security to ensure eligibility. In certain cases, you may have to provide documentation to confirm you citizenship or immigration status and federal aid eligibility.

Notifications

You are notified of possible citizenship issues three ways. The Student Aid Report provided by the Department of Education after completing the FAFSA will note any actionable issues with your information. Once SFS begins processing the FAFSA, a corresponding notification is placed on the SFS channel within the Costs and Aid tab of TUportal. And you are notified via email of your outstanding requirements from our office.

Possible Eligible Statuses

U.S. National or Permanent Resident

  • U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swains Island); or

  • 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."

Common Eligible Noncitizenship Statuses

  • “Refugee,”

  • “asylum granted,”

  • “Cuban-Haitian entrant,”

  • “conditional entrant” (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980) or

  • “Parolee.” (You must be paroled for at least one 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 with the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.)

Other Statuses
  • You hold a T nonimmigrant status ("T-visa") (for victims of human trafficking) or your parent holds a T-1 nonimmigrant status. 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 student aid:
  • Certain Native American students born in Canada with a status under the Jay Treaty of 1789

Documentation Requirements

Naturalized U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens may need to provide additional documentation. All students must complete an affidavit confirming their identity and specifying the documentation that will be provided to confirm identity and citizenship or immigration status. All documents are provided through the SFS dashboard. Students need to provide at least one of the documents listed in each category below. Students can retrieve their I-94 online if they were admitted after April 2011. 

Status

Identity

Eligibility

U.S. citizenship

Any government-issued photo ID, such as:
Driver's license
U.S. passport

U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
Certificate of citizenship
Certificate of naturalization

U.S. permanent resident

Any government-issued photo ID, such as:
Driver's license
U.S. passport

Valid Permanent Resident Card
I-94 Arrival-Departure Record that states your status and is currently valid
Machine Readable Immigrant Visa (MRIV)

Refugee, asylee, Cuban-Haitian entrant, conditional entrant

Any government-issued photo ID, such as:
Driver's license
U.S. passport

I-94 Arrival-Departure Record that states your status and is currently valid
Machine Readable Immigrant Visa (MRIV)

Parolee

Any government-issued photo ID, such as:
Driver's license
U.S. passport

I-94 Arrival-Departure record that states your status and is currently valid, and
I-485 Application for Permanent Residency

T-Visa holder

Any government-issued photo ID, such as:
Driver's license
U.S. passport

Certification letter from U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

Entrant admitted under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Any government-issued photo ID, such as:
Driver's license
U.S. passport

VAWA certification letter
I-797 confirming status

Ukrainian citizens admitted between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023

Any government-issued photo ID, such as:
Driver's license
U.S. passport

Paper form I-94 with a UHP class of admission (COA)
Foreign passport with parole stamp showing UHP COA
Form I-766 with C11 category

Afghan citizens and nationals paroled between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022

Any government-issued photo ID, such as:
Driver's license
U.S. passport

Form I-94 with this notation:
Special Immigrant Status (SQ/SI) Parolee
Sec 602(b)(1) AAPA / Sec 1059(a) NDAA 2006
Date ___ USCIS officer: ______

Jay Treaty students

Any government-issued photo ID, such as:
Driver's license
U.S. passport

Tribal band card
Birth or baptism record
An affidavit from a tribal official
Identification from a recognized Native American organization

Eligibility Confirmation

Once submitted, the documentation is submitted for review by a financial aid counselor. If the documentation is unclear regarding your eligibility, we may have to submit the documentation to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for further review. This process can take approximately 15 business days (three weeks). 

Submitting documentation is not a guarantee of eligibility. You will be notified separately if you are deemed ineligible due to you immigration status. Ineligible students can contact SFS to request a second review if their status changes during the academic year.

If you are deemed ineligible for federal and institutional aid due to your immigration status, you may still attend Temple but will need to seek other funding options.