Does being a Resident Alien put me at a disadvantage

Paying for College
1

<p>I have been a resident alien in the United States for about 14 years and I can't go through naturalization to become a US citizen until around October of the year I graduate from high school and go to college. Will it put me at a disadvantage in financial aid and scholarships? Even though I was a resident in the United States for all that I can remember.</p>

2

<p>No, it will not.</p>

3

<p>If you are using the term “resident Alien” the way Immigration officially defines it, you will be fine for most financial aid and scholarshops. If not, there may be restrictions.</p>

4

<p>Do you have “green Card”? See [Eligible</a> noncitizen](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/help/fotw15a.htm]Eligible”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/help/fotw15a.htm)

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5

<p>Yes I have a green card. So it also won’t affect the scholarships that colleges or private organizations give right?</p>

6

<p>

There are some scholarships that US Citizenship is required. See [FinAid</a> | Scholarships | Prestigious Scholarships and Fellowships](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/prestigious.phtml]FinAid”>http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/prestigious.phtml)</p>

7

<p>O thank you, but looking at those scholarships that require US citizenship, the chance of being awarded one is less than being accepted into an ivy. So those are the only scholarships that require it?</p>

8

<p>You should probably go in reverse order. Colleges do not treat you differently from a citizen for merit or financial aid requirements. The next question is where are you applying and whether they have any scholarships for which you don’t qualify because you are not a citizen. </p>

<p>So what is the point of figuring out what all you might not be qualified for? </p>

<p>When my daughter applied to UT, there was a list of 45 separate scholarships and I read through each one patiently and found that she qualified for 1 out of 45 despite being a citizen.</p>