FAFSA Application - Eligibility, Requirements, How to Apply

Importance of FAFSA for Indian Students 

The importance of FAFSA for eligible Indian-origin students is definitely to assess if the student qualifies for financial aid to study in US universities, apart from this more significance is held for FAFSA, they are: 

• If qualified for federal aid, it's one of the easiest ways to bridge the cost of studying in the USA. 
• The amount of aid that can be offered to a student is assessed based on the information provided in the FAFSA. 
• Upon completing the FAFSA, applicants can access one of the largest sources of financial aid in the USA. 
• FAFSA also helps determine an applicant's Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or Student Aid Index (SAI) and calculate their financial aid package. 
• If Indian students obtain an education loan in the USA, it will be at a lower interest rate, and they will not be required to repay it before graduating.

Thus, to get the benefits mentioned above, Indian students must fulfil any one of the following eligibility criteria to apply for FAFSA. 

FAFSA Eligibility for Indian Students 

Generally, FAFSA for international students is difficult to find, since it is usually not for them. Since some universities leverage the rules and require FAFSA application to consider applicants for aid, it becomes essential for submission. To be eligible to receive federal aid while studying in US universities, Indian students who come under the non-US citizens' category must fulfil the following criteria before proceeding to submit FAFSA for international students: 

• Indian students holding a Certificate of Naturalization (form N-550 or N-570) or a Certificate of Citizenship (form N-560 or N-561) or a Documentation of Birth of Citizen Abroad (form FS-240, FS-545 or DS-1350) will be eligible to apply for federal aid through FAFSA scholarship. 
• Form I-551 proof or Departure Record through form I-94A or Arrival-Departure Record form I-94 with either of the following endorsements would make the Indian student eligible to apply for FAFSA:  

• • Processed for I-551 
  • Holds a Temporary I-551 
  • Processed for I-551 
  • Has temporary evidence of lawful admission for Permanent Residence valid until employment is authorized or,  
  • Other valid documentation of permanent residence status  

• Evidence of having filed a permanent resident application from the DHS stating the student or his/her parents are in the US not temporarily and intend to become a citizen or permanent resident. The documentation must indicate that the applicants have been paroled into the United States for a year, with a non-expired date. 
• I-551C, I-94, I-94A, or a passport with an MRIV endorsing - “Upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551C evidencing permanent residence for 1 year.” Valid if the document has not expired. 
• Form I-94 with a stamp displaying “Section 203(a)(7)” and indicating the Indian national (student/parent) admitted in the United States as a conditional entrant prior to March 31, 1980. 
• Form I-797 or a court order from an immigration judge confirming the student’s status. 
• Parents of Indian students working in the USA, holding employment authorisation, can apply for FAFSA. 
• Those who have a social security number or whose parents are working in the US or those previously employed in the US who have a social security number also make Indian students eligible to apply for federal aid through FAFSA. 

The above-mentioned eligibility criteria for Indian-origin students apply to both non-citizens and those who were previously in the US with their parents, provided they have official documentation. Additionally, those whose parents are working in the US and have a Social Security number can assist students in applying for federal aid through the FAFSA. The above eligibility may or may not be deemed suitable for all applicants; therefore, students must carefully review the requirements before applying for FAFSA. Also, check about CSS Profile for International Students.

Steps to Apply for FAFSA 

Students who are U.S. citizens and have a Social Security number can apply directly for the FAFSA. Otherwise, if they are dependent on their parents, who are working in the US and have a Social Security number, their parents will need to file the FAFSA on behalf of their child. The steps to submit a FAFSA application are as follows: 

• Step 1: Create an account and register for an FSA ID, which serves as your username to access the application. 
• Step 2: Log on to the website fafsa.gov, select your option (student or parent), and click "Next" after filling in the relevant information. 
• Step 3: Select the session for which the FAFSA is being completed by the student or on their behalf. The renewable option can also be used if the FAFSA was previously filed, allowing the information to be transferred for the new session from the previously submitted form.  
• Step 4: Select all the US universities and colleges you wish to apply to, even if your application has not been submitted or even accepted. 
• Step 5: Submit the answers to dependency-related questions. This section will further assess whether parents’ information is required or not. 
• Step 6: If the student is a dependent, they will need to provide details about their parents in this section. Students who are not dependents will fall into the following categories: 

• • 24 years old or above 
  • Married  
  • A graduate student 
  • Military veteran or a member of the armed forces 
  • Orphaned 
  • Ward of the state 
  • An emancipated minor who is homeless or at risk of being homeless 
  • Someone with legal dependents other than a spouse 

• Step 7: This step requires the financial information of the student’s family or parents. 
• Step 8: The final step is to sign and submit the FAFSA. The application would be considered incomplete without the signatures of the student or the parent. 

Note: FAFSA scholarship is a free-of-cost application; students or parents must submit the form through the official website only. Also, it is suggested to follow the steps correctly before applying. 

Documents Required for FAFSA 

Indian-origin students or those whose parents are working in the US applying for FAFSA would need the following documents to complete the form: 

• Student’s Social Security number  
• Parents’ Social Security numbers if the student is dependent  
• Student’s driver’s license number if available 
• Alien Registration number if the student is not a U.S. citizen 
• Federal tax information, tax documents, or tax returns, including IRS W-2 information, for the student (and student’s spouse, if married), or parents’ info, if the student is dependent along with the following documents: 

• • IRS Form1040 
  • Foreign tax return or IRS Form 1040-NR 

• Records of untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans' non-education benefits, for the student, and for the student’s parents, if he/she is a dependent. 
• Information on cash, savings account balance, investments - stocks/bonds/real estate, business and farm assets if any. 

Overall, we can say that Indian students who fall under the non-citizenship criteria of the US or can demonstrate their US nationality, as well as their guardian’s details, can apply for FAFSA and be eligible to receive federal aid, grants, or even a loan at a lower interest rate. The only benefit is that if Indian students qualify for a grant, they will not have to repay it. 

Please note that not all Indian students are eligible to apply for the FAFSA because the application requires a Social Security number. Therefore, caution must be exercised when applying for the FAFSA as an Indian student. If they are not eligible to apply for the FAFSA, Indian students can consider applying for scholarships to study in the USA as their next best option.