Financial Aid for refugees/asylees...

jdelavalle · 06-17-2005, 11:43 AM

Guys please help me out.

As you know most of the financial aid at colleges is said to be limited to "U.S. citizens and permanent residents." My case is a one-in-a-million. I am a Colombian citizen, but I was granted political asylum in the US. This is essentially the same status as anyone who is considered a refugee. So... I contacted FAFSA and they said I was definetely eligible for financial aid, just as much as a resident or citizen, and Im eligible everything else such as Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, etc. I wont be eligble to apply for permanent residence until early 2006, and it takes about 2 years to get it.

So my question is, are colleges aware about my situation and do they know this (it would be great if anyone who's worked in a college here knows this)? Also, would i be eligible for the colleges aid and is it determined any differently than federal aid? Is anyone else in a similar situation or know somebody who is in my situation? Should I contact colleges I plan to apply to and ask them? PLEASE, HELP ME!!!

jdelavalle · 06-18-2005, 12:51 AM

bump.........

546mp · 06-20-2005, 06:44 AM

I have no experience in this situation, but maybe this might be useful:

This is from one university, Virginia Tech, after a quick google search.
If I had to guess, I would think many other universities would have similar policies:

Quote:

Because of the citizenship qualification, most international students (with the exception of certain refugees) are not eligible for financial aid administered by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. An international student who holds an I-151 or I-551 Alien Registration Receipt Card meets the citizenship requirements to apply for federally funded assistance, as does a noncitizen who holds an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) showing status as a "refugee," "adjustment applicant," "conditional entrant," or "indefinite parole," or an official statement showing that asylum has been granted. International student applicants must provide the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid with a copy of their visa or alien registration card, if requested.

Many colleges give federal aid as part of a larger aid package--it seems if you were elligible for it, you should be elligible for a college's grants too.

I would definitely contact colleges you are interested in now; they would know far more about the topic than myself. A quick email should be enough.

Good luck, I hope everything works out.

jdelavalle · 06-20-2005, 02:51 PM

Thank you! thats great news, im going to try googling some more.