<p>I am neither a U.S citizen nor do I think I am even a permanent resident. I was adopted by aunt and uncle who are U.S citizens and have recently applied for Greencard. Upon adoption, I was issued a US Birth Certificate but I am still waiting to be approved for permanent residency status. </p>
<p>I have to send in by Jan 1st to Cornell all these financial aid stuff and I don't want to send them if I can't even qualify and even then I am not sure if I will be accepted. Also, I want to know if I qualify for FAFSA and Cal grant.</p>
<p>Your situation sounds much too complicated to be answered by amateurs, however well meaning, on a web site. I, for instance, had no idea you could be issued a US birth certificate and not be a US citizen. Was the adoption a recent thing? Are you on some sort of Visa? The type of Visa might give a clue as to whether you may be able to file FAFSA or not. Check with your parents and if you are on a visa perhaps someone on CC can help you figure out if it is one that is eligible for FAFSA.</p>
<p>Are you quite sure you are neither a citizen nor a permanent resident? If you are neither not then you probably cannot file FAFSA at this point. Cal grants also require that you be a citizen or an eligible non citizen (and a Cal resident). </p>
<p>Really you need to find out exactly what your residency/citizenship status is. You do not seem sure of your own status and no one here can answer that for you. </p>
<p>You would also need to check directly with Cornell for what you should do.</p>
<p>Adoption was in 2005 and I am a California resident.</p>
<p>I don't have a VISA but I have a Social Security # if that makes any difference</p>
<p>edit: i know for undocumented students of three+ years in Calif and who graduate from a Calif HS are exempt from answering the citizenship question. They just have to check the box that they have been instate for three+ years and will graduate from a Calif HS, and they will be eligible for instate tuition and will be considered instate for admissions purposes. however, i dont know if UCs can distribute any aid to me</p>
<p>This is not going to be a very helpful question, but I am going to ask it anyway--- why are you waiting until two days before your deadline to pursue these questions? If you were eligible for FA, it is clear that you would need a lot of information and research to get it. I really hope you have all this underway already and are just asking for more info here...</p>
<p>cause i am an idiot and just learned of the cornell date yesterday. on collegeboard it says feb 11th but a lot of other students and i learned that cornell wants it by the 1st</p>
<p>Your situation would prompt me to ask other f/a offices or the feds for a determination ... which would take several days. I suggest you submit everything you CAN submit now, then call Cornell when they reopen (I am assuming they are closed this week - you could call now, just in case they are open).</p>
<p>The Jan 1 deadline is for the PROFILE and the Cornell Financial aid form...not the FAFSA (for regular decision)....buy you should check the website yourself. Google: Cornell University Financial aid. Then go to deadlines.</p>