<p>I checked my online accounts for several colleges. In the financial aid section, they all said I need to send in docs for proof of my citizenship. Thing thing is, I am a U.S. citizen. I wasn't born here but I got all the naturalization stuff done years ago along with my parents. My passport expired. Is that why their records say that?
Can anyone tell me what's going on? I plan to call all the colleges tomorrow. Hopefully this won't affect my admissions, since it was listed under financial aid.</p>
<p>When you complete the FAFSA, the Department of Education runs a check on your citizenship. Occasionally, the results are unclear or take too long and the DOE will flag the FAFSA for citzenship clearance. Just send in the naturalization paperwork, or any other documents the schools request, and you should be fine. As a Financial Aid Counselor, I have seen many US born citizens flagged for citizenship because the DHS system was down.</p>
<p>Did you/your parents ever bring your proof of citizenship/naturalization to the SSA office? </p>
<p>I was in the same situation as you: born in a another country but got all the naturalization stuff done years ago along w/ my parents. </p>
<p>Yet, when it came to financial aid and scholarships, they all asked for proof of citizenship. When I asked my dad about this, he simply told me he never brought my certificate of citizenship down to the SSA office, so when someone checks my SSN, it doesn't say I'm a citizen.</p>
<p>Just photocopy your certificate of citizenship/naturalization and send it to all the colleges that ask. And then make sure you/your parents bring that down to the SSA office so you can avoid this in the future. That's what we did; hope this helps.</p>
<p>Don't photocopy your naturalization certificate. It says right on it not to. Bring it in yourself.</p>
<p>Same situation here, naturalized last year.<br>
Even after having notified Social Security before the updated FAFSA, D was still flagged. Just send a photocopy of the first page of the passport, doesn't need to be notarized.
If your passport is expired, don't worry...it still proves you are US citizen.</p>
<p>I realize it does say not to photocopy it, but when I called some of my colleges that's what they requested...which brings me to the question is there another way to show my proof of citizenship without copying my naturalization certificate? I don't have a passport.</p>
<p>It is acceptable to make a photocopy to present to the colleges. In fact, in some cases, that is the only way to get the information to the school in a timely manner. The students I handle sometimes attend one of our satelite campuses and would have to travel 6+ hours just to bring in the original document, something we feel is unnecessary.</p>
<p>I talked to my dad and we decided to just get me a passport. Unfortunately it'll take weeks before it actually comes but at least for the future I'll have proof of citizenship other than my certificate.</p>
<p>I am in the same boat. My parents never send a copy to the SSA office. All you need to do is send in a copy to you schools.</p>
<p>I had to renew happybaby's passport last month, and we had the new one in 6 (yes, six) days. Granted, we are in the DC suburbs so it may have been quicker than in other parts of the country. We filed the paperwork in person at the local Post Office branch, and we paid to have the new passport express-mailed to our house. Depending on your location, you may want to have your application express-mailed to the processing center too.</p>
<p>Remember, you are headed off to college soon, and may have some really cool study-abroad opportunity open up on short notice. You will be glad to have the passport business done in advance.</p>
<p>happybaby is a US citizen born abroad, so I totally get the whole paperwork nightmare.</p>
<p>Good luck to all of you!</p>