Rutgers: Office of Financial Aid

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CITIZENSHIP

A STUDENT MUST BE IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CITIZENSHIP CATEGORIES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AID:

U.S. citizen or national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain’s Island )
U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551c (Alien Registration Receipt Card)

If none of these categories apply, the student must have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) showing one of the following designations to be eligible:

"Refugee"
"Asylum Granted"
"Indefinite Parole" and/or "Humanitarian Parole"
"Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending"
"Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)

A student would be ineligible if he/she has only a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464).

If a person were in the United States on an F1 or F2 student visa only, or on a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa only, he/she would not be eligible for student aid. Also, persons with G series visas (pertaining to international organizations) are not eligible for student aid.

***ACCEPTABLE DOCUMENTATION FOR VERIFICATION***

If the student’s citizenship status must be documented, the following a re forms of permissible certification:

A copy of the student’s official birth certificate showing that he/she was born in the U.S.
A copy of Form FS-240 ("Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the U.S.), the FS-545 ("Certificate of Birth-Foreign Service"), the DS-1350 ("Certificate of Birth"), or the INS Form G-639 (the Freedom of Information Act Form). The first three forms are generated by the State department and include an embossed seal.
A U.S. Passport, which may be current or expired. (In the case of nationals who are not citizens, the passport will be stamped "Noncitizen National".)
A certificate of citizenship from the INS, which includes certificate number and date of issue.
A Certificate of Naturalization from the INS, which must include date, certificate number and the INS A-Number.

Older versions of the Certificate of Naturalization/Citizenship from the INS advise the holder not to photocopy them. The INS however, PERMITS photocopying these documents if done for lawful purposes (such as applying for Student Financial Aid funds).

NOTE: A Social Security card or a driver’s license is not acceptable for documenting citizenship or national status: Noncitizens and nonnationals may possess these forms of identification.