Filling out the FAFSA with undocumented immigrant parents

Individuals who want to qualify for federal or state-issued financial aid as a college student need to fill out the FAFSA. However, students who are children of undocumented parents may find the process extra intimidating.

There are a couple of specific differences that children of undocumented immigrants will want to take note of when filing the FAFSA. Read on for an overview of how to fill out the FAFSA if your parents are undocumented, as well as other details you should know.

How to fill out the FAFSA with undocumented parents

With undocumented parents, the FAFSA process is the same as if your parents were citizens or permanent residents. You’ll still include their financial information in the application, which your school’s financial aid office will use to determine your aid eligibility.

Follow these steps to fill out the FAFSA if your parents are undocumented:

1. Create a StudentAid.gov account: Both you and your parents should create their own accounts before applying. Your parents may need to answer a few questions to verify their identity since they don’t have an SSN.
2. Go to fafsa.gov to start the application: Make sure to prepare the necessary documents such as tax returns, balances of bank accounts, net worth of investments, etc.
3. Invite contributors: Identify and invite your parents as your contributors. You will need to provide their personal information, such as name, date of birth and a mailing address.
4. Select schools, review information, and sign: Once everything has been checked over, sign the form and go to the “section complete” page.
5. Parents accept their invitations: Your parents will manually put in their income and tax information. If your parents have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), have them fill this out. This will help the Department of Education get federal tax information directly from the IRS, which would allow them to make any changes reflected.
6. Submit the form and look for a confirmation email: After your parents finish and all information is reviewed, submit the form. Afterward, be on the lookout for the confirmation email, which will state your submission date as well as your estimated aid eligibility.

Where to get FAFSA help if you have undocumented parents

If you have questions about filling out the FAFSA with undocumented parents, there are several places to reach out for help. You can start by contacting your high school or college counselors, who may be able to answer your questions and walk you through the process. You can also reach out to college access organizations or the financial aid office at your school.

Is it dangerous to fill out the FAFSA if my parents are undocumented immigrants?

Students whose parents are undocumented immigrants can rest assured – it is safe to apply since undocumented parents do not need to explicitly state their immigration status on the FAFSA. The application does not ask if they are undocumented, and FAFSA information is confidential and will not be shared.

Not entering a Social Security Number (SSN) only signifies they don’t have one, which can also be said for some people living within and outside the U.S., undocumented or not. When inviting your undocumented parents to contribute to your application, you need to do the following as you fill out your contributors’ information:

• Select a box that says they don’t have an SSN, which will disable the input.
• Include their mailing address, which needs to match exactly how your parents will write it on their own StudentAid.gov account.

Bottom line

Children of undocumented parents who want to attend college can receive federal aid by filing the FAFSA, and they can rest assured it’s a safe process for everyone involved. You can receive financial aid if you are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, and there are no legal repercussions to worry about.

The process will require filling out the FAFSA correctly and submitting a physical signature, but the extra steps required will be worth it in the end.

Frequently asked questions

• Can undocumented parents get a parent PLUS loan?

  Only U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens are eligible to apply for parent PLUS loans. Additionally, many private lenders require citizenship or permanent resident status to be approved for a loan.

• What do I put on the FAFSA if my parents are not legal residents?

  If your parents are not legal residents of the United States, they can check the “neither U.S. citizen nor eligible noncitizen” option on the FAFSA form.