If you getting instate rates the government (State in this case) is subsidizing your education. In my state, the state is paying roughly 12,000 of the yearly tuition. Every state is different in the level of support. So you are getting a great benefit from your tax dollars.
Honestly, most of us are in the same position. We pay FICA for retirement and social security. That’s not a benefit (for most of us) until years from now. If you and your family members become citizens or have legal status by the time you are 68 or so, you’ll benefit too.
But paying taxes is the deal you made when you took a job in the USA. I pay taxes and there are many things they go toward that I never directly benefit from. Some people have no children but still pay taxes for schools. Some have no cars, but pay for roads (and of course benefit from goods traveling to them over those roads).
Instead of worrying about the things you can’t have (fed grants and loans), focus on how you can pay for your education. Community colleges, state schools, private schools that offer merit to all students.
I don’t believe you can have a SSN unless you are a citizen.
There are some schools that do give full need based financial aid to international students…but they are highly competitive schools.
What kind of visa are you currently in this country on?
Non-US citizens can have SSNs. My international students get SSNs if they are hired for an on-campus job or if they are granted Optional Practical Training & get a job offer.
My daughter had a SSN before she was a citizen. She had a Green Card. I’m wondering if you can have a SSN without being a resident alien? I do think the OP has a TIN or else she does have status and can file a FAFSA. Hard to tell with what she posted.
See Post #23 by kelsmom
@kelsmom could you clarify? Do your international students with SSNs have permanent resident (green card) status?
To the OP…could you please clarify? Do you have permanent resident (green card) status in the U.S?
If you don’t qualify for federally funded need based aid…is it because you don’t have permanent resident status?
https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10181.pdf
But OP isn’t an international student with permission to work, so she still shouldn’t have a SSN unless she/family have permanent resident status.
https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10181.pdf
There would seem to be few internationals who have SSN. It would seem OP/family are permanent residents if they actually do have SSN and are allowed to work.
Ok…I’m confused then. If the OP has green card status, isn’t OP eligible to complete a FAFSA? And get aid?
She wrote: I am non-eligible non citizen. My family income is very low.
^^I think one of OP’s statements is incorrect:
If she/family are on a special type of visa that allows them to work, then she’s right, she has a SSN, she’s legal, and she can’t file a FAFSA or get federal benefits. If she’s ‘legal’ but without a special visa, she most likely has a green card. Or there is the possibility she’s not ‘completely legal.’ The first post doesn’t sound like she is here temporarily on a special visa, but she says they are ‘completely legal.’ We can’t tell from that how she is legal.
The system is not designed for the exceptions. FAFSA is designed for permanent residents and citizens. Others who do pay taxes are not included, even if that seems unfair.
https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10096.pdf
Looks like there are a few reasons someone who is not a citizen would get a SSN (including kelsomom’s students), but most need a special authority to work. Still seems unlikely an entire low income family would all have this authorization.
I know you don’t have to have a green card to get an SSN, but you DO have to have a reason that is on the list of reasons you can get an SSN … I just don’t know all of those reasons.
For OP, the important thing is that you MUST fall into one of the “eligible non-citizen” categories in order to qualify for federal aid. If you don’t, there is nothing that can be done … Congress mandates the eligibility, and schools are not able to bend those rules. I’m sorry for your situation.
H-1B (work) visa would be one category where a person would have an SSN, pay taxes, and the kids would be ineligible for federal aid. There are others.