International Students
Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen?
To receive federal student aid you must have a valid Social Security Number and be a:
- U.S. citizen; or
- U.S. national from Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa or Swain’s Island;
- national from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau (the Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, and Federal Workstudy only);
- U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151 or I-551 or I-551C (Alien Registration Receipt Card)
If you are not in one of these categories, you must have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) showing one of the following designations in order to be eligible to receive Federal Title IV Aid :
- Refugee
- Asylum Granted
- Indefinite Parole and/or Humanitarian Parole
- Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending
- Conditional Entrant (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980).
You are NOT eligible for federal student aid if:
- you’re in the U.S. on an F-1, F-2 or M-1 student visa;
- you’re in the U.S. on a J-1 or J-2 exchange visitor visa;
- you’re in the U.S. on a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa;
- you have a G series visa (pertaining to international organizations);
- you have an H series or L series visa (allowing temporary employment in the U.S.);
- you have only a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464),
- You have an I-94 stamped “Temporary Protected Status”.
For more information on finances for F-1 International Students, please visit the International Student Services web page- www.eastern.edu/campus/international.
You can also view our Outside Scholarships and Private Alternative Loan* links for information on other sources of financial aid. *PNC Bank and SunTrust do not currently offer loans to International students.
If we have requested additional documentation regarding your citizenship status, please see the list of Acceptable Documents.
