FAFSA and illegal students

[emiko]

Do undomented students need to fill out FAFSA in order to apply to colleges?
If i dont fill out one, will there be any problem?
I don't have social security number. How can I work this out?
Plzzz helppp a poor senior student

[TheInquisitor]

yes. for that you have to talk with the financial office and let them know of your status. it will only be for the fafsa score and the money will be from the college. you are not to get any money from the feds. none.

[lala5]

Hello TheInquisitor,

What do you mean by the FAFSA score? Can we illegals get that score without having SS#? What I know is that we can't apply at all. We won't get anything not even a score.

Thanks.

[TheInquisitor]

i never did fafsa. but i understand it gives you a score. you can then use the score to have the school give you one of their own money. but only do this with the permission of the school.

[emiko]

What i understand is that I have to contact the admission office of each school I have applied and let them know my situation...right?
and what is FAFSA score?? i still dont get it

[TheInquisitor]

like i said, fafsa gives you a score based on the info you give them. schools then use that score to see what aid you will get. perhaps do the fafas thing and get the score. then the school will see how much money, if any, you will get. again, only do this with the permission of the aid office at the school.

[ccordova624]

Do undomented students need to fill out FAFSA in order to apply to colleges?
If i dont fill out one, will there be any problem?
I don't have social security number. How can I work this out?
Plzzz helppp a poor senior student

Hi,
I have worked in a Financial office at a local junior college.
Illegal aliens can not fill out fafsa, since they need a social security and their names and citizenship eligibility will be verify it by the DHS.
Verification from the DHS is made to all non-U.S citizen, and it is key to the process of this FEDERAL AID.
See eligibility:
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq003.htm

If you dont fill out one, nothing will happen. You only need to fill out a Fafsa form if you are trying to qualify for financial aid.
Check with your financial aid office. They will give you more info about it.

[TheInquisitor]

i heard once that one could simply leave the social box empty and just get the score. then give the score to the school. let us know cccordova if this is possible or not. or if it is still the case.

[ccordova624]

i heard once that one could simply leave the social box empty and just get the score. then give the score to the school. let us know cccordova if this is possible or not. or if it is still the case.

Hi TheInquisitor,
That used to be possible, but know it is almost imposible to do. If you apply online, fafsa will require you to have a ss# in order to continue with the application. If you apply in paper and mail in your application with the ss# in blank, or with a ss# that the department of education cannot verify, they will send you a letter to bring a copy of ypur ss# to your school's financial aid office.
Now it varies by school. I dont know if some schools will let you "just get the score" but the general rule is that it is no possible.

[TheInquisitor]

so the answer i guess is no. perhaps if the school really wants to give some of their won money, they will have to see the score of other people in similar finacial situations. thank you.

[ccordova624]

so the answer i guess is no. perhaps if the school really wants to give some of their won money, they will have to see the score of other people in similar finacial situations. thank you.

I dont know a case in which the school has given aid money to an undocumented student. WITH THE EXCEPTION of scholarships.
Very few scholarships do not require you to be a US resident.

[TheInquisitor]

so how can emiko go about getting a scholarship? i think that is what he meant. schools sometimes need fafsa scores to see how they can give scholarships. can we use fafsa to have the schools give scholarships? or what other ways are there?

[lala5]

Hello TheInquisitor,

What I did was that I called the admissions office of the college I applied to, and I told them my situation. They told me to fill out the FASFA form and to send it directly to them (the college), and from there they would be able to see how much money they could give me.

So, what he is going to have to do is to talk to a financial officer from the college and tell them his situation. They are probably going to ask him to do something like that so they can determine how much money to give him.

I hope that helps!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

[emiko]

If I call the admission offices, I don't know where to start. Do I have to say I'm living illegally? or undocumented or what?? im scared...
So if anyone have information about UCB, UCSC, UCLA, Dominican University, USF, and CCSF (Those are schools I applied) Plz tell me if I need to fill out FAFSA and send it directly to the university or what I have to do.
I am so worried about this. The FAFSA deadline is coming and I still have no idea what I should do
(T_T)

[ccordova624]

If I call the admission offices, I don't know where to start. Do I have to say I'm living illegally? or undocumented or what?? im scared...
So if anyone have information about UCB, UCSC, UCLA, Dominican University, USF, and CCSF (Those are schools I applied) Plz tell me if I need to fill out FAFSA and send it directly to the university or what I have to do.
I am so worried about this. The FAFSA deadline is coming and I still have no idea what I should do
(T_T)

You don't have to fill out a FAFSA form because you are inelegible to receive any federal or state aid. Once you are accepted to one of the UCs you will be qualified in the system to pay your tuition as a "out of state student" what this means is that you will pay high tuition fees just like an international student.
You won't qualify to pay california resident tuition since you can not establish state residency without having legal immigration status in the country.

There is no point in filling out a FAFSA. There is no score to calculate because the score is only to be use to qualify you for Federal money, State money, Grants, and federal loans....

I have worked for many years in a college admissions and I have dealed with this many times. Undocumented students applied to the college, got admited, and they paid non-resident tuition.

HOWEVER, IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, and you have graduated from a CA high school, and have attended a california High school for at least 3 years. You are elegible for the the AB-540 which allows you to paid "california resident tuition fees" in most community colleges and state universities like SFSU and others. So insteed of paying $198 per unit as a non-state-resident you will paid $27 per unit as every regular californian. The only disadvantage is that you are still inelegible to federal and state aid.
UNFORTUNATLY, AB-540 does not apply to UC's or private schools.
Check this web sites for the AB-540
http://www.maldef.org/ab540/ab540.cfm

IF AFTER ALL THIS you still want to try to fill out a FAFSA go ahead an call them directly;
Federal Student Aid Information Center
1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
and just explain them your situation.... tell them that you are undocumented, and that you have applied to some schools, and that you were woundering if you have to fill out a FAFSA form.

Also check this elegibility requirements to fill out a fafsa:
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq003.htm

If I would be you I would call them and really find out directly from them, or from the FinAid Office. That way you will not regreat not calling to find out before the deadline....
**There is no reason to be scare...(I know how scary could be...) BUT think in this.... they are not INS... they don't know who you are.... they don't care if you are legal or not in the U.S.....they just provide info....

[emiko]

coz i don't have SSN
i also won't qualify for in-state tuition coz i have lived for only two years
omg
colleges are not affordable for me

[TheInquisitor]

two years in the state or the country? if in the country, then hope for a genral amnesty. and were you here before you were 16?

[chris_lost]

From my understanding AB540 does apply for UC's in the MALDEF PowerPoint presentation it states that with the AB540 students can pay $5,530 a year instead of $19,740 a year.

[TheInquisitor]

uc? some go to UC or UCLA, but is expensive. instate rates.

[emiko]

two years in the state or the country? if in the country, then hope for a genral amnesty. and were you here before you were 16?

Two years in the state (CA)
I was here before 16.
Do I qualify for in-state tuition?

FAFSA deadline has gone. I have learned a lot. First, I called the financial aid offices of the universities I had applied.

All of them told me not to fill out the FAFSA form and they won't give me any financial aid until I have a green card.

Can't believe this! even private schools won't give me private scholarships!

[ccordova624]

Two years in the state (CA)
I was here before 16.
Do I qualify for in-state tuition?

FAFSA deadline has gone. I have learned a lot. First, I called the financial aid offices of the universities I had applied.

All of them told me not to fill out the FAFSA form and they won't give me any financial aid until I have a green card.

Can't believe this! even private schools won't give me private scholarships!

Emiko,

That was what I told you in my previous posts.... now you know...
You can qualify for in-state tuition in California ONLY if:

1. Attend high school in California for three or more years;
2. Graduate from a California high school or pass the GED; and
3. File an affidavit with the college or university stating that the student has applied for a lawful immigration status or will apply as soon as the student is eligible to do so.

So if you have only lived in CA for 2 years... or went to high school for 2 years... that would unqualify you. YOU MUST HAVE 3 years of in-state high school and gradudate from a CA high school.
The State Universities will ask you for transcripts from your high school to prove this 3 year rule to put you in the AB540, they are required by law to have all that...
Very few UCs consider/apply this law/legislation.

[yasyas]

hey emiko.. how are you? what are your plans now?

[emiko]

My plans
1. If get accepted to UCB, I will go, no matter what
2. If not, I will go to CCSF and transfer later so I save money...a little bit i guess

However, my teacher told me that he would help me by calling the university to qualify me for in-state tuition, even though i have only 2 years in state. I dont know if it will work but right now i just feel like "wotever" I'm pretty sure im going to city college

i don't even know if they r gonna accept me due to my visa status
mine is B1 with expired i-94

but thanks everyone for helping me
Thank you so much

[emiko]

my aunt told me to marry a US citizen so I would shut up
but i dont want to gosh! i have to marry someone i barely know...hell no
and im also too young
however, for in-state tuition, job, opportunities, freedom, and green card...who knows
what should i do?

will i qualify for the DREAM ACT if im asian? thats stupid question but i really wonder if im the only undocumented asian here

i really wanna work and drive and ...become legal

[yasyas]

my aunt told me to marry a US citizen so I would shut up
but i dont want to gosh! i have to marry someone i barely know...hell no
and im also too young
however, for in-state tuition, job, opportunities, freedom, and green card...who knows
what should i do?

will i qualify for the DREAM ACT if im asian? thats stupid question but i really wonder if im the only undocumented asian here

i really wanna work and drive and ...become legal

many of us here want to work and drive and definitley become legal... i'm sorry that you're going through such a difficult time, i felt the same during my senior year. i ended up going to a community college and claimed as a usc (really bad i know, i wanna change my claim i'm scared i'll get in trouble). its good that you're telling your teachers and that they're helping you out. unfortunately i think in order to qualify for the DREAM ACT you would have had to be here for 5 years or so (i'm not quite sure).

if worse comes to worse and you get in UCB, but can't pay for it or they won't admit you since you are out of status, i think you'll have a year to keep your UCB admission valid. in case things change in a year, you'll be able to go to UCB.

good luck! and please keep us updated with your situation. =)

[yasyas]

also, do you have any paperwork in progress right now for ins? if you do, maybe it will help your situation with UCB. ...just an idea

[emiko]

What is a USC anyway? I know that USC is University of Southern California though...

There were 3 reasons why i came to SF, usa
1) My health problems
2) My family problems
3) To get better education

My aunt told me to move here. All of my family members (my mom's side) here are US citizens, however, my mom is the only person who is not a US citizen. So first my aunt was gonna apply for green card but my mom didn't want to stay here. She wanted to go back to her home, but i didn't want to. So my aunt was gonna adopt me but she later found out i had to be 14 years old or younger (I was 15 at that time). Then she applied student visa for me so i could stay but it was denied. I didn't leave since then but my mom left before i-94 expired. I lived here with my cousins but gosh! it's like im on my own. I take care of myself, cook my own food, make my own appointment with doctors and dentists. My cousins never actually look after me...at all. And they don't even know how sad i am for not having a green card or any paper work. They are all US citizens and so they take it for granted. Also, they told me they couldn't apply for green card for me because it has to be through my mom and then me.

I don't have any paper work...i guess...with all reasons i've said above
however, my visa is a 10 year B1 but the i-94 has expired long time ago
I actually don't know anything about visa, immigration stuff though

but is it true that if im out of status, the university won't accept me?
what do i do next if the universities don't accept me?

[TheInquisitor]

i think they will, but outstate tuition.

[ccordova624]

What is a USC anyway? I know that USC is University of Southern California though...

There were 3 reasons why i came to SF, usa
1) My health problems
2) My family problems
3) To get better education

My aunt told me to move here. All of my family members (my mom's side) here are US citizens, however, my mom is the only person who is not a US citizen. So first my aunt was gonna apply for green card but my mom didn't want to stay here. She wanted to go back to her home, but i didn't want to. So my aunt was gonna adopt me but she later found out i had to be 14 years old or younger (I was 15 at that time). Then she applied student visa for me so i could stay but it was denied. I didn't leave since then but my mom left before i-94 expired. I lived here with my cousins but gosh! it's like im on my own. I take care of myself, cook my own food, make my own appointment with doctors and dentists. My cousins never actually look after me...at all. And they don't even know how sad i am for not having a green card or any paper work. They are all US citizens and so they take it for granted. Also, they told me they couldn't apply for green card for me because it has to be through my mom and then me.

I don't have any paper work...i guess...with all reasons i've said above
however, my visa is a 10 year B1 but the i-94 has expired long time ago
I actually don't know anything about visa, immigration stuff though

but is it true that if im out of status, the university won't accept me?
what do i do next if the universities don't accept me?

Emiko,

The universities will accept you. They can not deny admission based on immigration status. However, if you do get admited you will have to pay as a "out of state" tuition. In other words, you will have to pay as an international student.

If they don't accept you, then it would not be because of you immigration status, but for academic reasons. Did you apply to any State Universities?
Or you only applied to UC?

[chris_lost]

Emiko,

We use USC as (United States Citizen) it also means the University of Southern California. Instead of typing the three words we just type USC.