This is actually correct. Federal regulations require the FA office to confirm citizenship by viewing the original document (passport or C of C) before releasing federal aid. Many schools will process the aid upon receiving a copy of the passport, but cannot release it until they view the document.
If they don’t question citizenship, then they don’t have to see the document.
So pretty much we can dot every I and cross every T, and still possibly be asked to provide proof of citizenship.
Exactly. The paperwork simply hasn’t caught up with the law; the kids who were adopted as infants when the law was changed are only now entering college.
But the college shouldn’t question citizenship if you dot every i and cross every t, including having the correct status at SSA. My daughter was never questioned. She started under the ‘old’ system of FAFSA, so didn’t get the FSA ID until the second year. I know many more people who had trouble getting state driver’s licenses than issues with FA in college.
Not every adopted child because some countries still do not finalize adoption in that country. The parents fail to finalize and then citizenship doesn’t attach. I think the financial aid regulations are in sync with the law. Citizenship needed.
If we had been questioned, I don’t know if I would have just produced the passport or made the school show me why they were making a citizen produce the extra documents. Sometimes I’m willing to stand my ground, other times I just want it over with. Depends on my mood and how much time I have.
I usually fill out forms and just provide the information requested, but I never provide SSN. I never provided it to the high school, and there was one scholarship where it wasn’t required but citizenship was. They never questioned it. I don’t think it asked where she was born, just where she went to high school and if she was a citizen. Somehow it all worked, they matched her scholarship to her college with just her name (and 4 phone calls).
@twoinanddone, I had all the x’s crossed and i’s dotted, and my daughter was asked for proof of citizenship so she could receive her Pell grant. We brought her passport to orientation and that was that. I didn’t think it was a good time to create (or not eliminate) roadblocks to the beginning of her college experience. I know you’ve had all manner of difficulty to straighten out with your daughters’ college billing and aid. We’ve had none of that at all. You just never know.
One of my kids is adopted from Guatemala - I forget which, but neither of them ever had any question ever come up aside from checking a box on their initial application that they were citizens.
@JerseyParents You forgot which of your kids is from Guatemala??
You’d be surprised how often I mark the wrong boxes on forms for my kids. The other day I was talking with my daughter about another player being a minority. My daughter said “So am I.” Oh yes, I forgot. Really, I don’t think about it.
I also just check ‘citizen’ and we’ve never been asked to show more documentation.
ha ha I love it. When S was about 5 and we were on a playground another mother asked which
kid was mine. I kept telling her the one in the red jacket. I finally got it…our son is adopted from South Korea
and I just did not see that as a description.
One of my kids is adopted - I forget which
Yep - they are just our kids.
Although my oldest, as a baby, looked just like my mom. It was uncanny.
On this topic, you may want to check out the webinar on Adoption Issues and the College Admissions Process being offered through the Center for Adoption Support and Education in Maryland this Thursday (January 25). Their webinars are usually free registration for the first 400 people who sign up. See adoptionsupport.org
On this topic, you may want to check out the webinar on Adoption Issues and the College Admissions Process being offered through the Center for Adoption Support and Education in Maryland this Thursday (January 25, 2018). Their webinars are usually free registration for the first 400 people who sign up. Please visit adoptionsupport.org for more information.
I anticipated problems when my son applied to schools last year. I emailed two of the places where he applied, and asked if I needed to do anything different. They both replied just to check the “citizen” box. I had heard that he might be considered an international student and not eligible for merit aid. We didn’t have an issue.Thank goodness.
My daughter got through the whole admissions and financial aid process including receipt of need-based and merit aid with no request for documentation of her immigration status but had to provide proof of citizenship (passport accepted) before orientation. Plus she had additional TB screening because she was born in a country where the disease is much more common than it is in the U.S. A statement from her pediatrician’s office did the job.
My daughter was adopted in 2000 from China. She was never asked to provide ant documentation of citizenship, though I guess she checked the citizen box.
She received a scholarship and also some FAFSA money.
The only thing we needed to provide was a letter stating I am a single parent.
So far so good for us in terms of admissions/financial aid - accepted to her number one choice and we have accepted the financial aid package without being asked about citizenship (other than checking the boxes everyone else does).
The SS administration system does have her listed as a citizen, so maybe that is an internal check.
This happened to us - My daughter was adopted from Russia in 2001 at 11 months old . I immediately got her a SSN and she is on her 3rd passport. When we heard from second school saying they needed additional proof - I called SSA - the block was not checked off that she was a US citizen in their system when I got her SSN. Needed to bring current card, passport, her and drivers license - filled out one form and the box got checked. In and out of SSA in half an hour. someone just forgot to check the box when they inputted data when assigning her SSN
Same with my daughter (2002, Eastern Europe) and last summer we applied and received the social security card very quickly. She’s just a sophomore but I don’t want any money issues later. Son (2001 and also Eastern Europe) was fine.
Quick question regarding citizenship and applications. Have all of you with kids with dual citizenship included that on College apps? Wondering if it’s a plus or a minus??