applying to college

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hampton8844

Registered Users (C)
All,

I am posting this question for my niece. Her family's asylum application remains pending with the CIS. She will graduate from high school next year.

What are her options regarding college?

I heard that if you are GRANTED asylum you are treated basically as a permanent resident. Is that true?

What about people whose applications are still pending? What can they do?

Thank you for your comments.
 
Possible

Hopefully by next year her application will be decided on.

Yes, once she gets (or her family) approved, then she can apply for federal financial aid. Additionally, she can try and apply for an instate residency status for tuition purposes if she will attend a public college (she can try to do that even if she has been in that state for less than a year, she can base that on that fact that she is a refugee, and many colleges will consider that). But as long as the application is pending, she can not get any federal financial aid, only private scholarship, loans, etc...
 
What if asylum is not approved by next year. Is there any hope? She has outstanding grades.




bringslite said:
Hopefully by next year her application will be decided on.

Yes, once she gets (or her family) approved, then she can apply for federal financial aid. Additionally, she can try and apply for an instate residency status for tuition purposes if she will attend a public college (she can try to do that even if she has been in that state for less than a year, she can base that on that fact that she is a refugee, and many colleges will consider that). But as long as the application is pending, she can not get any federal financial aid, only private scholarship, loans, etc...
Click to expand...
 
hampton8844 said:
All,

I am posting this question for my niece. Her family's asylum application remains pending with the CIS. She will graduate from high school next year.

What are her options regarding college?

I heard that if you are GRANTED asylum you are treated basically as a permanent resident. Is that true?

What about people whose applications are still pending? What can they do?

Thank you for your comments.
Click to expand...
Until you get your asylum approved you are not eligible for any educational benefits.
 
When was the asylum application filed, Hampton8844?

Even if the application was filed today, I think it is more likely than not that a decision would be made by next year.

For the past ten years they are very efficient in approving legitimate asylum applications. In the older days it took forever to even get an interview (mine took 8 years).

But they have changed the system for the better (which a terrorist masquerading as an asylee here asserted not too long ago as evidence as American "anti-asylee" feelings).


hampton8844 said:
All,

I am posting this question for my niece. Her family's asylum application remains pending with the CIS. She will graduate from high school next year.

What are her options regarding college?

I heard that if you are GRANTED asylum you are treated basically as a permanent resident. Is that true?

What about people whose applications are still pending? What can they do?

Thank you for your comments.
Click to expand...
 
canterbury2 said:
When was the asylum application filed, Hampton8844?

Even if the application was filed today, I think it is more likely than not that a decision would be made by next year.

For the past ten years they are very efficient in approving legitimate asylum applications. In the older days it took forever to even get an interview (mine took 8 years).

But they have changed the system for the better (which a terrorist masquerading as an asylee here asserted not too long ago as evidence as American "anti-asylee" feelings).
Click to expand...

They sent in the form two weeks ago.

How long does it take to get an interview these days? In my own case, I applied for asylum in May 1993 and was called for an interview in January 1998.
 
hampton8844 said:
They sent in the form two weeks ago.

How long does it take to get an interview these days? In my own case, I applied for asylum in May 1993 and was called for an interview in January 1998.
Click to expand...


They aim to make an initial decision on your application in three or four months. It sounds incredible, but they make that goal in most cases. After five months an applicant can get a work permit and they want to prevent people with weak claims from getting an EAD.

You were pretty lucky, getting an interview in less than five years. I filed my case on January 2, 1990 and received my interview notice eight years and two weeks later. And thanks to the efficiency with which they deal with new asylum applications (and the 10 K cap), I am still waiting for the I-485 approval.)

But I think your niece will almost certainly have a decision in her case before her high school graduation.
 
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