Financial Aid: 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.

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, below is a list of Acceptable Documents:
What citizenship documents are acceptable to submit?  Here are some examples (please submit one):

• A copy of the student’s birth certificate showing that he/she was born in the United States
• A U.S. passport (current or expired)
• A Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561)
• A Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570)
• A copy of Form FS-240 (Consular Report of Birth Abroad), FS-545 (Certificate of birth issued by a foreign service post), or DS-1350 (Certification of Report of Birth)