Help! My mom put that I am a US Citizen when I am not...

Paying for College
1

<p>I got this e-mail today...</p>

<p>[My name]</p>

<p>While reviewing your credentials for your application to Columbia and your application for financial aid we came across a discrepancy. On the admissions application you indicated that you were a US citizen, but on the FAFSA you indicated that you are a Permanent Resident of the United States. Before we can go any further in processing your application we will need to see a copy of your green card with the A number visible. </p>

<p>Would you please fax a copy of your green card to Jessica Bernier at 212 854-8223. As we are nearing the end of our process it is imperative that you do this as soon as possible. We are planning to finalize our decisions by tomorrow, Tuesday, March 18. </p>

<p>The thing is, I am not even a perma. resident.. but I think I qualified as a "eligible non-citizen" because I am a resgistered alien, at least that's what my mother's lawyers told us.</p>

<p>How do I go about telling them that I am neither a US Cititzen nor a Permanent Resident without looking like a liar? I am sure my mom did not lie intentionally.. </p>

<p>Also, to clear things up, would registered aliens classify as "eligble non-citizens" for financial aide?</p>

2

<p>You need to call them.</p>

3

<p>What I do not understand is how you go yourself caught up in this situation. </p>

<p>Every college application asks for your citizenship status and your original country of citizenship (the common application goes as far as asking where were you born). They also ask if you are a us citizen or permanent resident. If you are a green card holder, they ask for your certificate # along with your registration date.</p>

<p>You need to call Columbia and all of the other schools which you have applied to for a number of reasons:</p>

<p>You want to inform the college before the acceptances come out. If you wait until later and the colleges think that you have intententionally misrepresented your self, they can (and will) rescind any and all admissions given to you. </p>

<p>In the college admissions process, if you are not a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, then you are considered an international student. Columbia is not need blind to international students, so your ability to pay will be a factor in the admission process. </p>

<p>The FAFSA states the following:</p>

<p>
[quote]
</p>

<p>Select "Eligible Noncitizen" if the student is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, and he or she is one of the following:</p>

<p>U.S. permanent resident, and the student has an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-551)</p>

<p>Conditional permanent resident (I-551C)</p>

<p>Other eligible noncitizen with an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service showing any one of the following designations: "Refugee," "Asylum Granted," "Indefinite Parole," "Humanitarian Parole," or "Cuban-Haitian Entrant"</p>

<p>The student can receive federal student aid if he or she is a U.S. citizen, an eligible noncitizen, or a U.S. national. </p>

<p>If the student has changed from a noncitizen to a citizen, the student should contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to update his or her citizenship status. </p>

<p>Otherwise, the SSA may report to the Department of Education that the student is not a citizen, and the student will have to provide documentation to verify his or her citizenship before being eligible to receive aid. </p>

<p>The student can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or visit the Social Security Administration's Web site at Social</a> Security Online to update his or her citizenship status.</p>

<p>If the student is an eligible noncitizen, the student must provide his or her Alien Registration Number (ARN) on the FAFSA.</p>

<p>Eligible</a> Noncitizen</p>

<p>

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Do you meet the criteria to be considered an eligible non-citizen? If yes, then you must amend your fafsa and supply the correct information.</p>

4

<p>from columbia's website in regard to admission and financial aid for international students</p>

<p>Application</a> Information for International Students</p>

<p><<International students are eligible to compete for financial assistance at Columbia University, although it is not offered by all schools (please consult the school's bulletin for availability and deadlines for application). At this time, one in three international graduate students receives some type of financial assistance. Only about one in ten undergraduate students receives aid. Funding is not guaranteed from year to year, usually offered in September, sometimes not offered until the second year, and, in some departments, limited in number of years to encourage new students to enter the department.</p>

<p>Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science will consider foreign students for financial aid awards, but the number of awards given annually is very small. The School of General Studies (GS) provides scholarships to undergraduate degree candidates that range from $500 to $15,000 per academic year. GS scholarships are awarded to students with demonstrated academic achievement and are influenced by financial need. Columbia University awards financial aid on the basis of academic merit and financial need only, in compliance with the Ivy League guidelines.>></p>