Every U.S. citizen and eligible non-citizen has the right to apply for and receive federal financial aid. A parent or spouse's citizenship status does not affect the student's eligibility for financial aid.
The FAFSA asks for students' personal information, including their name, birth date, social security number (SSN) and mailing address. The FAFSA collects similar information from students' "contributors," such as their parents (if they are dependents) or spouses (if they are married).
Contributors who have a SSN are required to provide it, but a a contributor does not need to have an SSN to complete their portion of the FAFSA. On the online form, contributors without SSNs will check a box saying "I do not have an SSN." On the paper FAFSA, contributors without SSNs should enter zeroes in the SSN field.
Financial Aid Application Steps:
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Completing the 2025-2026 FAFSA is required to access federal financial aid. Confirm/update school code 002826.
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New York State (NYS) residents have the opportunity to apply for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and the Excelsior Scholarship at hesc.ny.gov. All students, including mid-year transfer students, confirm/update school code 0925.
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View these 2025-2026 FAFSA Filing Tips!
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A NYS Alternate Eligibility Pathway is available for students who are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, but at least one of the student’s family members who is a required FAFSA contributor is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Additional Resources:
- FAFSA Hub for Mixed-Status Families
- How to Get a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID Without a Social Security Number
- Questions and Answers on Information Collected for StudentAid.gov Creation and Filling-Out the FAFSA
- FAFSA Information for Students from Families of Mixed Immigration Statuses
- Data Protections for FAFSA Information
- Information for Undocumented and Non-Resident Students
