<p>What's the deal with it and do Canadians need it? When I check that I will be needing fin. aid on the Common App for Upenn it says:</p>
<p>"Federal law requires you to provide your social security number on your federal forms to be considered for financial aid. Colleges request that you also include your social security number on your application. This number is used to verify your identity and retrieve your record. Most institutions require you apply for federal student financial aid before you can be considered for institutional need-based aid."</p>
<p>I'm confused, this is the first time that I've ever even thought about needing a SSN. Isn't UPenn's aid private, meaning we wouldn't need to fill out a FAFSA form and thus wouldn't need a SSN? Someone please help!</p>
<p>If you’re Canadian you don’t fill out the FAFSA, but you do fill out the CSS Profile. Applications ask you for an SSN but if you’re not a US citizen/permanent resident then you can leave that blank.</p>
<p>Thank you!! Now I assume you’re talking from experience?</p>
<p>Basically, in the 1930’s, former American president Franklin Roosevelt instituted social security, which was originally created as (in simple terms) a system of pensions for the retired, widowed, and disabled. Pretty much every American citizen gets a social security card with a set of numbers that can be used as an identifier. To internationals, the social security number is rather irrelevant, though. Aid for them would not come from the U.S. federal government.</p>
<p>Islander4 I think your saying that the SSN is irrelevant to internationals is wrong. My D goes to college in the states and her F1 Visa specifically states that she cannot work off campus and that if she does get a job on campus she needs to get a student SSN and she cannot work more than 20 hours per week. It is very relevant for students that need part time work, you cannot get a legally paying job on campus without the SSN and you cannot get the SSN without a job offer so it is important to know. As far as applications to US schools no it is not needed.</p>
<p>The 20 hours limit applies to all college students (and 40 hours during the summer), but it’s true that international students need to get a SSN to work and can’t work off-campus, or technically, they simply must be on the university’s payroll.</p>
<p>@ percussiondad, JakobCreutzfeldt, Femiluv</p>
<p>Thanks for your help! After reading what you had to say and going to Femiluv’s link I am quite convinced that one doesn’t need a SSN to apply to US schools (including for fin. aid).</p>