The federal government offers many types of financial aid, including Pell Grants and Stafford Loans, to qualifying students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The federal aid programs are only available to students who meet the eligibility requirements set by the federal government, including specific residency requirements.
Citizens and Nationals
Federal student financial aid is available to all people whose primary legal allegiance is to the United States. All U.S. citizens meet the residency requirements for federal student aid, even if they are living outside the U.S. at the time of the application. Individuals born in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are all U.S. citizens. In addition, U.S. nationals are eligible to receive federal aid. This includes residents of American Samoa and Swain's Island.
Permanent Residents
Students considered to be permanent residents of the U.S. are eligible to apply for all types of federal financial aid. Permanent residents must have either an I-151, I-551 or I-551C permanent resident card. An I-171 or I-464 Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence is not enough to meet the permanent residency requirement.
Special Permissions
The federal government also offers financial aid to students who are not citizens, nationals or permanent residents but who have been granted special permissions at their entrance to the United States. To be eligible, the student must have an I-94 Arrival-Departure record with a specific designation. As of 2011, anyone with a designation of # "Refugee," "Asylum Granted," "Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending" and "Victims of human trafficking, T-visa" are eligible. In addition, people with a "Conditional Entrant" designation issued before April 1, 1980, and those designated as "Parolee" who are planning to apply for citizenship or permanent residence can receive federal student aid.
Partial Aid
The U.S. recognizes citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau as eligible for only some types of financial aid. These students can receive Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work-Study assignments. However, they cannot receive any other types of federal student aid, including loans.
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