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Eligible Non-Citizens:
A student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible
non-citizen to be eligible for federal or State
of South Carolina student aid. The general
requirement for eligible non-citizens is they
are in the U.S. for other than a temporary
purpose with the intention of becoming a citizen
or lawful permanent resident as evidenced by the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). To
be considered for financial assistance through
the Office of Student Financial Aid, you must
have one of the following citizenship or
eligible resident classifications:
1. U.S. Citizen
2. U.S. National (includes
natives of American Samoa and Swain's Island)
3. U.S. Permanent
Resident who has:
1. A Permanent
Resident Card (Form I-551 since 1997),
or
2. A Resident Alien
Card (Form I-551 before 1997), or
3. An Alien
Registration Receipt Card (Form I-151,
issued prior to June 1978), or
4. An
Arrival/Departure Record (CBP Form I-94)
or the new Departure Record (Form I-94A
with the endorsement "Processed for
I-551. Temporary Evidence of Lawful
Admission for
Permanent Residence. Valid
until ___________. Employment
Authorized.", or
5. A machine readable
immigrant visa (MRIV) in the holder's
passport. The MRIV will have an
admission stamp, and the statement "UPON
ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY
I-551
EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1
YEAR" which appears directly
above
the machine readable section. An MRIV
with this statement, contained in an
unexpired foreign passport and
endorsed with the admission stamp,
constitutes a
temporary I-551, valid
for one year from the date of
endorsement on the stamp.
6. A United States
Travel Document (mint green cover),
which replaces the Reentry Permit
(Form
I-327) and the Refugee Travel Document
(Form I-571). It is used by lawful
permanent residents (as well as refugees
and asylees) and is annotated with "Permit
to
Reenter Form I-327 (Rev. 9-2-03)."
4.
Citizens of the
Federated States of Micronesia and the
republics of Palau and Marshall Islands.
Note:
These students are eligible only for Federal
Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental
Opportunity Grants or Federal Work-Study (FWS).
They are not eligible for federal
student
loans.
5.
For eligible
non-citizens other than permanent residents:
1. Refugees with a
Form I-94 or I-94A annotated with a
stamp showing admission under
Section
207 of the Immigration Nationality Act
(INA). Also acceptable is the old
Refugee
Travel Document (Form I-571) or
the new U.S. Travel Document cited in
paragraph
3.6. above annotated with "Refugee
Travel Document Form I-571 (Rev.
9-2-03)."
2. Asylees with a
Form I-94 or I-94A and a stamp
reflecting admission under Section 208
of the
INA, or the same travel documents
cited in 5.a. above. Note: A refugee or an asylee may
apply for permanent resident status and
may have an I-94 that includes the
endorsement
"209a (or 209b) pending.
Employment Authorized." These
students are eligible for federal
student aid funds if the I-94 has not
expired.
3. Parolees with a
Form I-94 or I-94A with a stamp
indicating they have been paroled into
the United States for at least one year,
with a date that has not expired.
4. Cuban-Haitian
entrants with a Form I-94 indicating
they have been classified as a
"Cuban-
Haitian Entrant (Status Pending).
Reviewable January 15, 1981. Employment
authorized
until January 15, 1981." This
document is valid even if the expiration
date has passed.
However, if the I-94 is
stamped "applicant for permanent
residence", the Cuban-Haitian
entrant is not eligible for federal
student aid and must request
documentation of
permanent residency
status from the USCIS.
Ineligible Non-Citizens:
Individuals with F-1, F-2, or M-1 Student
Visas, B-1 or B-2 Visitor Visa; J-1 or J-2
Exchange Visitor Visa; H or L series Visas
(which allow temporary employment in the U.S.),
or a G series Visa (pertaining to international
organizations), or a Notice of Approval to Apply
for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464), an
I-94 stamped "Temporary Protected Status" or an
approved Form I-797 "Application for Voluntary
Departure under The Family Unity Program" ARE
NOT ELIGIBLE for any financial assistance
administered by this office.
Students applying for federal Title IV aid as
eligible non-citizens whose citizenship status
is not confirmed on the SAR must provide The
Office of Financial Aid with documentation. The
Office of Financial Aid will then initiate a
secondary confirmation with the United States
Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) in
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This
confirmation must be received before students
can be awarded any aid.
The following are only suggestions and not
the responsibility of the Office of Financial
Aid. Students should also contact the department
in which they plan to study to check for
departmental scholarships, assistantships, or
stipends. International students should research
companies, organizations, or the government from
their home country as possible sources of
funding. In most cases, the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services strictly prohibits students
from working off-campus during the first year of
study. An international student should not
expect to fund a large portion of his or her
expenses by working.
For more scholarship and loan information,
international students should check the
following Web sites:
This list is only suggestive. The Office of
Financial Aid does not endorse or confirm the
business practices of any organization. |
