Paying for college as an immigrant: federal student aid basics

Step 1 — Learn the three kinds of federal aid

Federal Student Aid (FSA) is part of the U.S. Department of Education. Its aid comes in three main forms (FSA — Types of aid):

• Grants — money you usually don’t have to repay. The best known, the Federal Pell Grant, usually goes to undergraduates with exceptional financial need who don’t yet have a bachelor’s degree. The maximum for the 2026–27 award year is $7,395 (FSA — Pell Grants).
• Work-study — part-time jobs for students with financial need, paid at least the federal minimum wage (FSA — Work-Study).
• Loans — money you borrow and must pay back with interest (FSA — Loans).

One free form, the FAFSA, is the way in. States and colleges also use FAFSA information to award their own grants, scholarships and loans (FSA — FAFSA deadlines).

Step 2 — Check the “eligible noncitizen” rules

To get federal student aid, you must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen. You also need a valid Social Security number, except students from the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau (FSA — Eligibility requirements).

Studentaid.gov lists these groups as eligible noncitizens (FSA — Non-U.S. citizens):

• U.S. nationals, and permanent residents with a green card (Form I-551 or I-151);
• people whose Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) shows Refugee, Asylum Granted, Conditional Permanent Resident, Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Conditional Entrant (only if issued before April 1, 1980) or Parolee (with extra conditions);
• people with T nonimmigrant status (for victims of human trafficking), or whose parent holds T-1 status;
• certain abuse victims covered by the Violence Against Women Act (officially, “battered immigrant-qualified alien”);
• citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau, for some types of aid only.

For some of these groups, you must also be able to show evidence from USCIS that you are in the U.S. for “other than a temporary purpose” (FSA — Non-U.S. citizens). Need your I-94? See our I-94 guide.

Not eligible, according to the same page (FSA — Non-U.S. citizens): people with only a work permit (Form I-766) or only a notice of approval to apply for permanent residence (I-171 or I-464); B-1/B-2 visitors; H or L temporary workers; U visa holders; people with Temporary Protected Status; and F-1, F-2, M-1, J-1 or J-2 visa holders. Undocumented students, including DACA recipients, can’t get federal aid, but may get state aid, school aid or private scholarships (FSA — Non-U.S. citizens).

Two facts that often surprise families (FSA — Non-U.S. citizens):

• Your parents’ status doesn’t count. It doesn’t affect your eligibility, and the FAFSA doesn’t even ask about it.
• An expired green card isn’t always the end. It doesn’t necessarily mean your permanent resident status has expired; the financial aid office can help. For most other documents on the list, though, an expired one blocks federal aid until you provide a current one. See renewing or replacing a green card.

This list describes categories, not your case. Ask the financial aid office how your documents fit; for questions about your status itself, see free immigration legal help. On a student visa? Start with our guide for international students.

Step 3 — Set up your accounts and papers

• Your Social Security number. You need one to create the StudentAid.gov account that lets you fill out and sign the online FAFSA (FSA — Undocumented students). No SSN yet? See our Social Security number guide.
• One account per person. You need your own StudentAid.gov account, and so does each parent or spouse who must add information to your form. A “Who’s My FAFSA Parent?” tool on studentaid.gov shows whose information you need (FSA — Filling out the FAFSA).
• A parent without an SSN can still take part. A parent or spouse doesn’t need an SSN to create an account and complete their section. If they have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), they enter it in the ITIN field only; if not, they leave it blank (FSA — Undocumented students). See our ITIN guide.

Step 4 — Fill out the FAFSA early

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) can help you get grants, scholarships, work-study and loans (USAGov). The 2027–28 form covers school between July 1, 2027, and June 30, 2028 (FSA — Filling out the FAFSA). It opened on September 23, 2026; by law, the form must launch by October 1 (ED — Press release).

Deadlines for 2027–28 (FSA — FAFSA deadlines):

• Federal: 11:59 p.m. Central time on June 30, 2028.
• State and school: each sets its own, and many come much earlier. Some states say “as soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2026,” because aid is given until the money runs out.

What often trips up immigrant families:

• Everyone must consent to the IRS data transfer — even a parent or spouse who has no SSN, didn’t file taxes, or filed taxes outside the U.S. (FSA — Filling out the FAFSA). Without that consent, the student can’t get federal aid, even if they type in their tax information by hand (FSA — Eligibility requirements).
• If your finances changed a lot since the tax year on the form — after a move, for example — submit the FAFSA anyway, then explain the change to the school’s financial aid office (FSA — Filling out the FAFSA).
• If the FAFSA is rejected because of an SSN problem, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (FSA — Undocumented students).

Your FAFSA Submission Summary is only an estimate; each school sends its official aid offer after you’re admitted (FSA — Filling out the FAFSA). You need a new FAFSA for every year you’re in school (FSA — Pell Grants).

Step 5 — Look for state, college and private aid

• State aid. Contact your state grant agency (FSA — Types of aid); the Department of Education’s State Contacts page lists each state’s “State Higher Education Agency” (ED — State Contacts). Some states need forms in addition to the FAFSA (FSA — FAFSA deadlines), and aid based on where you live may have its own residency rules (FSA — Undocumented students).
• In-state tuition. Officially, it’s the rate charged to students “who meet the state’s or institution’s residency requirements” (NCES — IPEDS Glossary). Those requirements come from each state or college, so ask the college’s admissions or residency office which rate applies to you and what proof it needs.
• College aid. Many schools have their own grants and scholarships, with their own applications and deadlines (FSA — Types of aid).
• Scholarships. Studentaid.gov points to the U.S. Department of Labor’s free Scholarship Finder, and suggests asking your home country’s embassy or a consulate in the U.S. what they offer (FSA — Non-U.S. citizens).

Studied abroad? See getting a foreign degree recognized. For younger children, see enrolling your child in school.

Step 6 — Compare offers and borrow with care

• Borrow only what you need. You can accept less than the loan amount your school offers (FSA — Loans).
• Federal and private loans differ. Federal student loans have a fixed interest rate, usually lower than private loans, and most don’t need a credit check or a cosigner (FSA — Loans) — useful if you don’t have a U.S. credit history yet.
• Before the money arrives, you complete entrance counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note, a legal agreement to repay (FSA — Loans).
• The rules changed in 2025–2026. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed on July 4, 2025, changed federal student aid; some changes took effect on July 1, 2026, and others will come later (FSA — OBBBA updates). For example, Pell Grants now also cover eligible workforce programs, and loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, have new limits for parent PLUS and graduate borrowing and new repayment plans (FSA — OBBBA updates). Read that page before you borrow.