Verifying Citizenship
In order to receive financial aid, a student must prove they are a U.S. Citizen or an eligible non-citizen. If the Social Security Administration (SSA) cannot determine citizenship status during the FAFSA match process or if the Department of Homeland Security cannot confirm alien or residency status, the student is required to submit proof to the school before any aid can be awarded.
The following is a quick checklist of the most common documents acceptable for proving a student’s status.
Citizen
- Birth Certificate
- Certificate of Citizenship: N-560 and N-561
- Certificate of Naturalization: N-550 and N-570
- Certification of Birth Abroad: DS-1350
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad: FS-24
- Certificate of Birth – Foreign Service: FS-545
- U.S. Passport
Eligible Non-Citizen
- Permanent Resident Card: I-151, I-155, I-155C
- I-94 and I-94A: Arrival/Departure Record
- MRIV: Machine Readable Immigrant Visa
- Travel Document: Form I-327 (Reentry Permit) and I-571 (Refugee Travel Document)
- I-94 stamped w/Refugee, Asylee, Parolee, or Cuban-Haitian entrant
- Letter from HHS certifying eligibility for Victims of Human Trafficking
- I-797: Notice of Action - Battered Immigrant
- Jay Treaty documentation
- Citizens of the Freely Associated States documentation
Photocopying immigration docs
Federal regulations require that schools examine and make a copy of the original immigration documents and keep a copy in the student’s file with the results from the third step verification/SAVE process (when applicable). While photocopying is generally not permitted, for the purpose of applying for Title IV aid, the school may legally photocopy, scan, or otherwise image immigration documents (such as Forms I-551 or I-94) to complete the third step verification process.
Eligible noncitizen name changes
When an eligible non-citizen student changes his or her name, the student needs to update it with SSA and DHS.
- To update their name with DHS, students can schedule an appointment by contacting their local USCIS office or by scheduling an online appointment online at the USCIS website.
- For the SSA update, the student must bring the appropriate documents to prove the change to their local SSA office. Visit the Social Security website for more information.