Your citizen status will impact your eligibility for financial aid. In addition to the information below, you should contact the financial aid office of the college or university you are interested in attending to learn more about any programs they might offer for noncitizens. Check back here often. Laws and administrative rules in this area can change rapidly and we will continue to update this page.
Eligibility for Federal Programs
A student must be a citizen or eligible noncitizen to be eligible for federal financial aid programs, as determined by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The general requirement for eligible noncitizens is that they be in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of being a citizen or lawful permanent resident. The specific eligible statuses are:
- U.S. citizen or national;
- U.S. permanent resident;
- Citizens of the Freely Associated States: the Federated States of Micronesia and the republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands; and
- Other eligible noncitizens.
The term “U.S. Citizen” includes citizens of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. All U.S. citizens are U.S. nationals. However, not all nationals are U.S. citizens: natives of American Samoa and Swain's Island are not U.S. citizens but are nationals and therefore may receive federal financial aid.
A definition of "eligible noncitizen" is provided at the Eligibility for Non-U.S. Citizens page of the Federal Student Aid website.
Eligibility for State of Illinois Programs
Students who are not eligible for federal student financial aid, including undocumented students, may be eligible to use the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid to apply for state financial aid programs if they meet all the criteria regarding in-state tuition eligibility before they will be enrolling in college. Learn more about eligibility and the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.
Eligible Noncitizens
Students who are not eligible for federal student financial aid, including undocumented students, may be eligible to use the Alternative Application to apply for state financial aid programs if they meet all the criteria below regarding in-state tuition eligibility at the time of enrollment.
To see how students can meet the criteria, visit Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.
Remember that even if you meet the eligibility criteria to use the Alternative Application to apply for state financial aid, that does not mean you will receive state financial aid. Like all students completing either the Alternative Application or the FAFSA, you still must meet the eligibility requirements for each financial aid program in order to receive aid.
Non-Eligible Noncitizens
For purposes of ISAC programs, a noneligible noncitizen is a student who does not meet either the federal or the state definition of eligible noncitizen and therefore is not eligible to apply for ISAC programs. However, there may be other options available, and you are encouraged to visit the resources listed below.
Noncitizens planning to attend college in the U.S. can find information and assistance, including legal and other support services through the following links:
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
DACA was a program through which undocumented young people brought to this country by their parents could get a temporary reprieve from deportation and receive permission to work, study and obtain driver's licenses. DACA participants voluntarily signed up for the program through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and their status was renewable every two years.
While no new DACA requests are currently being processed, individuals who already have DACA or whose DACA expired less than one year ago can still renew it and their work permits and apply for advance parole.
As part of our mission to make college accessible and affordable for all families in Illinois, ISAC will continue to support and assist these students by providing information and assistance in navigating the college planning and financial aid processes.
For more information about the DACA program, visit https://www.uscis.gov/DACA
FAQ for DACA Students
For a comprehensive list of FAQs (not necessarily education-related) for those who have or are seeking DACA status, visit https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-of-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca/frequently-asked-questions.
A. Undocumented students, including DACA recipients, are not eligible for federal student aid, but may still be eligible for state or college aid, in addition to private scholarships. Check with your college’s financial aid office for more information. Additional guidance for DACA students is provided on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.
A. DACA students who meet the criteria in Illinois law to submit the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid can use that application to apply for state financial aid programs, including the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant.
In general, DACA students would not complete the FAFSA because they are not eligible for federal student aid. However, DACA students with a social security number could complete the FAFSA. If you have questions about which application to complete, talk with your school counselor, the financial aid office at your institution, or connect with your local ISACorps member.
Learn more about the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid and see the Alternative Application FAQs.
Illinois DREAM Fund
Designed to make scholarships, college savings, and prepaid tuition programs available to undocumented students who graduated from Illinois high schools, the Illinois DREAM Act (Public Act 97-0233) created the Illinois DREAM Fund, and a nine-member Illinois DREAM Commission.
The DREAM Fund Commission is responsible for fundraising for the Illinois DREAM Fund, for creating a not-for-profit entity to administer the Fund, for publicizing the availability of DREAM Fund scholarships, and for selecting scholarship recipients. The DREAM Fund Commission is also responsible for researching issues on access and success of children of immigrants in higher education. The Commission develops and runs training programs for high school counselors and admissions and financial aid staff. Professional development activities for high school counselors are required to include information on undocumented students’ opportunities in postsecondary education.
The Illinois DREAM Act made the State’s 529 college savings and prepaid tuition programs available to Illinoisans with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN), regardless of whether they have Social Security Numbers. This means that those undocumented Illinoisans with ITINs are eligible to participate in the state’s Bright Start college savings plan. (The College Illinois!® Prepaid Tuition Program is no longer available for new participants, but the program continues to operate as usual for current contract holders.)
To receive a scholarship from the DREAM Fund, a student will have to meet the following requirements:
- must have at least one parent who immigrated to the U.S.,
- must have lived with a parent or guardian while going to high school in Illinois,
- must have graduated from that high school or received a GED, and;
- must have attended school in Illinois for at least three years before graduating or receiving a GED certificate.
For more information about DREAM Fund scholarships, visit the Illinois Dream Fund’s Facebook page.