FASFA for New Legal Immigrant

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi All ,</p>

<p>I Just got LPR and is just moving from my country to USA . I have never worked in usa or paid taxes or had tax file neither my spouse.</p>

<p>I do not have any work yet in USA neither my wife . she want to study
at a community college </p>

<p>My Question is</p>

<p>Must I wait until i pass one year in USA and file my taxes then apply FASFA
or can i apply although i have no tax reports and no proof of income</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>You probably should wait a year so that your Wife can have instate rates at the CC. Without a year’s residency, she’d be considered a non-resident and have to pay high costs (FA isn’t going to cover all of that). </p>

<p>So, establish a year of instate residency, then have your wife go to school.</p>

3

<p>To answer the OP’s question:

  1. If you have a permanent resident card (the physical card) OR are a conditional permanent resident, you can fill out the FAFSA, and if your income makes you eligible, you are eligible for federal financial aid. (Pell grants, Stafford Loans, Perkins loans – if the institution chooses to give you one, but they’re very limited, and federal work-study funds.)
  2. But, if you’re new arrivals in a state (which it sounds like you are/will be) and your wife wants to enroll in a public college or university, I would expect that in most states she would not be considered a resident for the purposes of tuition, and the non-resident rates are usually substantially higher. Typically, once she’s lived in the state for a full year, she would qualify for in-state tuition. Private colleges set their own rules, and there is little or no consistency. </p>

<p>I hope that helps – and welcome!</p>

4

<p>Are you in possession of the physical card, or you just received notice of approval? Two different things since you say you are not in the USA but in other threads you are looking for federal aid for long distance learning. If you do not physically have the I-151, I-551, or I-551C you are not eiigible for any federal student aid.</p>