Original Citizenship/Immigration Documentation
A copy of one’s original Citizenship & Immigration documentation (front and back)
Citizenship & Immigration Status Document Submission
To be eligible to receive federal or state aid, students must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. The Department of Education matches all FAFSA applications with the Social Security Administration (SSA) on U.S. citizenship status. If U.S. citizenship or nationality cannot be confirmed, the student must provide documents proving U.S. citizenship or nationality, citizenship of the Freely Associated States, lawful permanent residence, or other eligible noncitizen status in order to satisfy the citizenship requirement for Title IV eligibility. If your documents do support your eligibility for federal aid, Questrom Financial Aid will make a copy of your documentation and continue to process and award your federal aid accordingly.
Required Documentation
Acceptable Citizenship Documentation
- A copy of your U.S. Passport, signed on the line which reads “Signature of Bearer”
- A copy of your U.S. Certificate of Citizenship or U.S. Certificate of Naturalization. This must be signed in two places: on the photo itself and also on the line which reads “True and Complete Signature of Holder.”
- A copy of your U.S. Passport card.
- If you are a U.S. Citizen who was born in the U.S., you may provide a copy of your Birth Certificate.
- If you were born abroad and at least one parent (adoptive of biological, with legal custody of you) became a U.S. Citizen before you reached the age of 18, you are probably a naturalized citizen under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. Nevertheless, to establish eligibility for federal financial aid you must provide a signed U.S. Passport, a U.S. passport card, or a signed U.S. Certificate of Citizenship. If you have applied for but have not yet been issued a U.S. Passport or U.S. Certificate of Citizenship, you must provide a statement attesting to that fact. In that case, you must also submit ALL of the following documents: a written explanation of your status, a copy of your legal parent’s signed U.S. Passport or signed Certificate of Citizenship, and a copy of the front/back of your U.S. Permanent Resident Card, if in your possession. If you enroll at Boston University, either during orientation or your first week of classes, you will be required to present in person your recently obtained signed U.S. Passport or U.S. Certificate of Citizenship.
Acceptable Documentation for U.S. Permanent Residents
- A clear copy of the front and back of your U.S. Permanent Resident Card (not expired).
- A copy of your Machine-Readable Immigrant Visa (MRIV), which serves as temporary I-551.
Acceptable Documentation for Other Non-Citizens
If you are not a U.S. Citizen or US Permanent Resident, but believe you may still be eligible for federal aid, please provide clear copies of ALL (or as many) of the following documents as possible:
- All letters ever received from the Department of Homeland Security (often labeled I-797, I-797A, or I-797C). You may also provide any emails received from the Department of Homeland Security.
- The photo page of your current and previous foreign passport.
- All visa stamps for the U.S. in your current and previous passports.
- All I-94’s and I-94A’s (both current and previous). In addition to providing copies of the paper I-94’s in your passport, it is also advised that you retrieve and print an electronic copy of your I-94 from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
- Your U.S. Employment Authorization Card.
- Your Form I-485 Application to Register Permanent Resident status.
- Once received, the above documents will then be matched with DHS records to verify that you hold a status that makes you eligible for the receipt of federal financial aid. Information on non-U.S. Citizens who qualify for federal student aid may be found on the U.S. Department of Education website.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and Undocumented Students
Undocumented students, and those in DACA or TPS status are not eligible for federal financial aid.
International Students
International students are not eligible for federal financial aid.
Government Issued Photo ID
A copy of one’s valid, government issued photo ID (front and back)
Acceptable Government ID Documentation
- Driver’s license
- Non-driver’s identification card
- Other state-issued ID
- Global Entry card
- Inmate ID issued by a correctional facility (government owned or privately run), even if it does not have an expiration date and only as long as they are still confined or incarcerated; or
- State-issued voter ID, even if it does not have an expiration date.
What is a Valid Unexpired Government-Issued Photo ID
For this purpose, a valid unexpired government-issued photo ID is one that is issued by the U.S. government, any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, a federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribe, American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau.
Unacceptable Documentation
- Government-issued photo IDs from a foreign country;
- Military IDs and Common Access Cards (CACs), because there is a general prohibition on photocopying military IDs
- Temporary driver’s licenses
- Student IDs, not even those issued by state schools
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program IDs (SNAP IDs)
Citizenship & Immigration Affidavit
A completed and signed 26-27 Citizenship & Immigration Status Affidavit
Signing the Citizenship Affidavit (In-Person)
The student may bring their original documents to Questrom’s Financial Aid Office, and have the affidavit verified and signed by BU Financial Aid Staff.
Please schedule a meeting with our office here – Financial Aid Advising
Signing the Citizenship Affidavit (Notary)
The student may bring their original documents to a notary public – free notary services can be found at public libraries, banks, and some local government offices.
If appearing before a notary public is impossible or impractical, consider using an online notary service like Notarize.com.
Citizenship & Immigration Documentation Submission Form
Boston University Questrom School of Business
Rafik B. Hariri Building
595 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
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