Federal Student Support for Immigrant Students

Federal Student Aid

Eligibility Requirements

The general requirements to apply for federal student aid include that students exhibit a financial need, are U.S. Citizens or eligible non-citizens, and are enrolled in a qualified degree program at their college of choice.

To be considered an eligible non-citizen, students must fall into one of the following immigration categories.

• U.S. National (including natives of American Samoa)
• U.S. Permanent Resident with a form I-551, I-151, or I-551C, also known as a “green card.”
• You hold a “T” nonimmigrant status (T-Visa), or your parent possesses a T-1 nonimmigrant status.
• You are a “battered immigrant-qualified alien” who is a victim of abuse by your citizen or permanent resident spouse, or are a child of a person designated as such under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
• You have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Citizen & Immigration Services (USCIS) demonstrating one of the following:
  • • “Refugee,”
    • “Asylum Granted,”
    • “Cuban-Haitian Entrant,”
    • “Conditional Entrant” (additional requirements needed),
    • “Parolee” (additional requirements needed).

Eligibility Information for Undocumented & Ineligible Immigrant Students

Undocumented students (including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and students with pending asylum applications) are ineligible for federal student aid. However, undocumented students, DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, those with pending asylum applications, and other students ineligible for federal student aid may be eligible to apply for New York State aid through the Senator José Peralta New York State Dream Act. For more information on the New York State Dream Act, please click the button below.

Application Resources & Information

If students are eligible to apply for financial aid, they must fill out the Free Application to Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to potentially receive financial assistance. Students may access the FAFSA application by clicking here.

Students completing the FAFSA for the first time must create an account or a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. Returning students should log in with their existing FSA ID to complete a new application.

When preparing to fill out the FAFSA, we recommend you start by watching the video below and visiting this website. After reviewing these resources, students should visit the CUNY FAFSA Guide and this page outlining the six things students need before filling out the 2024-2025 FAFSA. Lastly, if you want to review a breakdown of the questions asked on the FAFSA, please click here.

2024-2025 FAFSA Application Updates Impacting Immigrant Families

The Department of Education has revised the Free Application to Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2024-2025 academic year. For a summary of the significant changes to the FAFSA, please click here to review the key changes to the 2024-2025 FAFSA experience and click the button below.

Notably, the 2024-2025 FAFSA contains revisions that benefit families with mixed immigration statuses. Now, FAFSA-eligible students with undocumented parents or contributors without social security numbers (SSNs) are able to submit their FAFSA electronically, simplifying the application process. For instructions on how to submit your 2024-2025 FAFSA if your parent or contributor does not have a social security number (SSN), please visit this website or click the buttons below.