Student Loans for Immigrants

"The face of American higher education is changing. More than 1,000,000 foreign students are currently enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities and that number is only growing," according to The Student Loan Report

"However, some of these immigrants may not be naturalized citizens or lawful permanent residents. So, their financial aid options are limited.

Of the 43.7 million immigrants living in the United States as of 2016, 49 percent were naturalized citizens, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The remaining 51 percent were either lawful permanent residents, undocumented immigrants, or legal residents on temporary visas.

An immigrant does have a more difficult path to obtaining financial aid, but they do still have options, primarily in the form of private student loans.

... Alternative Sources of Financial Aid for Immigrants

For immigrants who are looking for other sources of funding, there are multiple options. A number of states allow undocumented immigrants to apply for state-based financial aid, and to receive in-state tuition rates. In addition, prospective students can check out the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators’ (NASFAA) website to learn about grants, fellowships, and scholarships in their state.

Other options include private scholarships, including ones that are specifically geared toward immigrants. There are a number of online scholarship search engines that allow students to search for scholarships and grants using specific terms, such as “immigrant.” In addition, immigrants may want to contact their country’s embassy, consulate or government to see if they offer grants, scholarships, or student loans to help them attend college."

NASFAA's "Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

 

Publication Date: 7/23/2018

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