Dear Roadie,
My U.S.-born niece is ready to fill out the FAFSA, but my brother and sister-in-law are undocumented immigrants. They’re worried the incoming administration could use the information to find undocumented workers and deport them. My niece won’t be able to attend college without financial aid. Should she fill it out anyway?
— Fearful of FAFSA
Dear Fearful of FAFSA,
First, allow me to applaud your niece for her decision to earn a college education. Students from immigrant families account for more than a quarter of students attending college in the United States, and she is and will be in good company.
I understand your concern given all the political rhetoric we’ve heard the past few months, but we can only speak to things as they stand now, and right now, parents’ citizenship or immigration status does not affect a student’s eligibility for federal student aid. Will that change once the new administration takes over? Possibly. But there’s no way to know that for sure at the moment.
Some of the deportation policies that President-elect Trump has proposed could significantly affect college students, especially those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protections. As of November 2024, a student’s eligibility is based on their status, not their parents’, so those who presently fill out the FAFSA for the 25-26 school year and have undocumented parents can still apply for federal student aid. The current FAFSA does not ask about the citizenship or immigration status of anyone beyond needing their financial information, and nothing is reported to immigration authorities.
That said, the process is a bit different for parents without Social Security numbers.
Similar to your niece, your brother and sister-in-law will have to set up an account and login information by answering a few questions, providing an email address, and setting up a password. Next, Federal Student Aid will ask to verify their identity. This is optional for the Class of 2025. Parents without Social Security numbers can fill out the 2025-26 FAFSA immediately even if they can’t complete Federal Student Aid’s identity verification process. The plan is for all parents to be required to have their identity verified next year, but the incoming administration may have different plans.
It’s important to note that by law, Federal Student Aid must keep this information private. However, any family that is uncomfortable with the identity verification process may fill out a paper version of the FAFSA instead.
If your niece is also hoping for state and institutional aid, keep in mind that those may have a different set of requirements, additional steps, or restrictions.
For further guidance, I suggest your niece set up an appointment with her school counselor who is likely well versed in the most up-to-date FAFSA requirements. Your niece can also confidentially contact FAFSA to ask about her family’s situation.
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