<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>