<p>Yanez, you are not entitled to government aid. However, merit aid that does not require a FAFSA is a possibility. Also, as another poster said, NY state schools do give in state rates to those who have been here for 3 years. There are also merit awards that many of the SUNYs give without requiring a FAFSA so you can do pretty well that way. My son is going to SUNY Buffalo with a nice scholarship that was automatically given to him. The instate COA is about $15k including room, board and estimated expenses, and with the scholarship, the cost is even more reasonable You can alos get some loans that do not require a FAFSA to bring down the price more. I know the Lehman offers good students with good SATs a full ride, a laptop and some other goodies like a summer abroad, and that is pure merit. So there are opportunities out there. What is your academic picture? That would determine eligibility for some of these awards.</p>
<p>Thanks for answering politely. Im afraid my Academic picture is not that good because of some issues i had during school. I had a 88 Avarage with sat of Critical Reading 540 Math 500 Writing 550 ( new one). The college i got accepted to is Hofstra University in Long Island New York. Luckily i dont have to dorm because i live close. Its around 24 k a year. I have done every single grade in the US since 1st grade. I am strongly considering just attending college in Chile because i have also been informed of numerous graduates that even though they graduate, they cant get jobs since they dont have legal status. I dont know if it might help me but my parents have files their taxes with a real S.S.</p>
<p>Could you find out if you were eligible for NOAH (HEOP) through Hofstra? </p>
<p>My suggestion would be to contact their FA office to find out what kind (if any) aid you are eligible for.</p>
<p>Do *you * have legal authorization to work in the U.S.?</p>
<p>I would suggest tossing an application at the Chase Smart start program</p>
<p>If I were you, I would also be concerned about my work status after I graduate. It seems to me that you also need to look into changing your status over to legal -- no sense in spending time and money on a college degree that you can't use. I know nothing about immigration, sorry. Just what i am thinking.</p>
<p>I know that international students need to give documentation to the colleges of their INS status...correct VISA etc. How would it be that illegal immigrants would not be responsible for verifying their status in the U.S? Sadly, some high school students are illegal immigrants through no fault of their own...their parents have brought them along with them. BUT once someone is going to college, it would seem like the same verification for any other non-U.S. Citizen attending college would be the same. Perhaps this is worth checking as well as the finaid issue.</p>
<p>Thumper, if you are illegally in this country, you are in a no-man's land as far as INS enforcement goes. Yes, strictly speaking, you are correct. But many schools here have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy, as do many employers. That is one of the reasons we have such a large illegals problem. We do not enforce our rules on the matter. New rules are not going to do a thing if we don't enforce them. The reason international students undergo scrutiny is that they are applying for a student visa to come and stay LEGALLY in this country, an option that an illegal already here does not have. This is not the route an illegal here can take to become legal. It is a very tedious process that such a person has to undergo; expensive, time consuming and not a path one would want to take as there are substantial risks that you will be deported, or have to leave and stay out for a long time to start the legal process. These kids are in a true quagmire, and there is no quick solution.<br>
So basically, they cannot get oked by the FAFSA process which is in place not only to determine EFC. but eligibility to receive federal/govt funds. FAFSA screens all sorts of things--families who have defaulted college loans, kids who have taken out too much in terms of grants and loans, draft registration, any federal "flags". Illegals will be screened out from govt money that way. But being the capitalist country we are, there are plenty of private lenders who will give loans, and there are merit awards out there that do not ask such questions. Colleges, including many public ones, look the other way where they can. NY is one state that allows illegals here for 3 years to get the state rate. There are states that do not have this provision and it is hotly debated in some circles whether this tuition break should be given.</p>
<p>I have opinions on this whole illegal situation, but to answer the OP's questions, I have set them aside. The answer is that she cannot get any funds that specifically prohibit illegals and/or internationals from getting them, but there are merit grants that do not look into the status, and she is in a state that does give in-state rates. To address her family's and her illegal status is not going to be an easy thing, particularly as a minor. This is something someone more mature and knowledgeable should tackle, and even then it is a long, tedious process,as NY's list of immigrants is one of the longer ones. Definitely someting she should pursue as it will affect work prospects.</p>