Who Is Eligible?

Eligible Non-Citizens

The U.S. Department of Education matches the citizenship information that you enter on your FAFSA with national records to determine if you are in one of the following eligible categories:.

• U.S. Citizen or national.

• Permanent Resident of the U.S. with one of the following forms of documentation:

• An Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551, Form I-151)

• A passport or Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) stamped "Processed for I-551.  Temporary Evidence of Lawful Admission for Permanent Residence .  Valid until ______.  Employment Authorized."

• An I-94 stamped "Temporary Form I-551.  Admission for permanent residence at ______ (port) on _________(date) verified.  ________________________(signature of issuing officer) ____________(title)."  This I-94 will also contain the individual's photo and an INS seal over the photo and the stamp. 

• Other types of eligible non-citizens having an I-94 containing one of the following:

• Refugees.  A stamp reading either "Admitted as a Refugee Pursuant to Section 207 of the Act.  If you depart the United States you will need prior permission to return. Employment Authorized," or "Status changed to refugee pursuant to Section 207 (c)(2) of the Immigration Nationality Act on ______.  Employment Authorized. "  Refugees may also have a Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571) which can be used for documentation if it's unexpired.

• Asylees.  A stamp reading "Asylum status granted pursuant to Section 208, INS.  Valid to ____________.  Employment Authorized. "

• Conditional entrants.  A stamp indicating that the student has been admitted to the United States as a conditional entrant.  (The INS stopped using this category on March 31, 1980).

• Parolees.  A stamp indicating that the student has been paroled into the United States for an indefinite period of time for humanitarian reasons.  The work "indefinite" and/or "humanitarian" will be handwritten into the stamp.

• Cuban-Haitian entrants.   A stamp across the face of the I-94 indicating that the student has been classified as a "Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending).  Reviewable January 15, 1981.  Employment authorized until January 15, 1981."  (A document showing that the holder is a Cuban-Haitian entrant is valid even if the expiration date would make the document appear to be no longer valid. 

If the U.S. Department of Education does not confirm that you are a U.S. citizen or National or an eligible non-citizen when processing your FAFSA, we must verify your status before offering you any student financial aid.   We will ask you to provide documentation of your current status.   For example, if you are a Permanent Resident, you will provide a photocopy of your Form I-551 or Form I-151.   (The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) permits photocopying of documents for the purpose of applying for student financial aid.)  

In addition, if you are not a U.S. Citizen or Naturalized U.S. Citizen, we must confirm your eligible status with BCIS before offering you student financial aid.   This will delay the processing of your application for financial aid for up to 30 days.
 

If you have only a Notice of Approval to Apply for permanent residents (1-171 or 1-464), you are not eligible for federal student aid.
 

If you are in the United States on an F1 or F2 student visa only, or on a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa only, you cannot get federal or university need-based student aid.  Also persons with G series visas (pertaining to international organizations) are not eligible for student financial aid.  





Financial Aid Office
Enrollment Services, Room 339
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Reception Desk)
            Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Financial Aid Call Center)

1-888-4TOWSON (toll free)
Phone: 410-704-4236
Fax: 410-704-2584
E-mail: finaid@towson.edu