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Filling Out the FAFSA: I am a U.S. Citizen, But My Parents are Undocumented Immigrants
U.S. citizen students with undocumented parents can now submit the 2025-26 FAFSA. Here's how.
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Updated · 3 min read
How is this page expert verified?
NerdWallet's content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure the information is as clear and complete as possible.
Eliza Haverstock is NerdWallet's higher education writer, where she covers all aspects of college affordability and student loans. Previously, she reported on billionaires and investing for Forbes in New York, and she also covered private markets for PitchBook in Seattle. Eliza got started at her college newspaper at the University of Virginia and interned for Bloomberg, where she spent a summer writing a feature story about plastic straws. She is based in Washington, D.C.
Karen Gaudette Brewer leads the Core Personal Finance team at NerdWallet. Previously, she guided students and their families through the ins and outs of paying for college and managing student debt on the Higher Education team. Helping people navigate complex money decisions and feel more confident brings her great joy: as the daughter of an immigrant, from an early age she was the translator of financial documents and the person who called the credit card company to fix fraud.
She joined NerdWallet with 20 years of experience working in newsrooms and leading editorial teams, most recently as executive editor of HealthCentral. She launched her journalism career with The Associated Press and later worked for The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise, The Seattle Times, PCC Community Markets and Allrecipes.com.
She is a graduate of the 2022 Poynter Institute Leadership Academy for Women in Media. Her writing has been honored by the Society for Features Journalism and the Society of Professional Journalists. In addition, she’s the author of two books about the Pacific Northwest.
Head of Content, Core Personal Finance
🤓Nerdy Tip
When can I submit my FAFSA application? The FAFSA for the 2025-26 academic year is now open for all students. FAFSA applications for the current academic year, 2024-25, can be submitted until June 30, 2025.
All U.S. citizens are eligible for federal financial aid, regardless of their parents' or spouse’s immigration status.
If you are a U.S. citizen, but your parents are undocumented immigrants and don't have a Social Security number (SSN), you should still submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA opens the door to federal student loans, need-based grants like the Pell Grant, work-study, state and institutional aid and even some private scholarships.
If you’re married to someone without an SSN, you should also submit the FAFSA.
You and your parent(s) or spouse may each be considered FAFSA contributors who will fill out separate portions of the FAFSA. If your parent(s) or spouse contributor doesn’t have an SSN, they may need to follow extra steps to verify their identity and financial information.
Any federal agency that receives information about your undocumented parent(s) or spouse from the Education Department can only use it for explicitly authorized purposes, like identity verification and calculating your financial aid eligibility. By law, federal agencies cannot use information your parent(s) or spouse enters on the FAFSA for any immigration or enforcement actions.
Request your FSA IDs and screenshot “personal information”
You and your FAFSA contributor(s) must each request your own FSA IDs before filling out the form. An FSA ID is the username and password combination you'll use to sign into your studentaid.gov account to fill out your portion of the FAFSA. It can take several days to receive your FSA ID after you request it.
Parents or spouses without SSNs can still request an FSA ID. They may need to follow extra steps to verify their identity. Ask them to screenshot or record the exact language they use for their “personal information” section. You must use the exact same wording and abbreviations (i.e. Road vs. Rd.) when inputting contributor information to your portion of the FAFSA form.
If your parents’ or spouse’s account is immediately verified, they can begin fully using their FAFSA account right away. If their account is created but not yet verified, they can still immediately be able to access the FAFSA form, but their account will have limited functionality until full approval.
Gather documents for the FAFSA
With your parent(s) or spouse, take a few minutes to gather important financial documents to help the process go smoothly. For the 2025-26 FAFSA, these documents may include:
2023 tax returns.
Records of child support received.
Current balances of cash, savings and checking accounts.
Net worth of investments, businesses and farms.
Steps to fill out the FAFSA for U.S. citizens with undocumented parents or spouses
You don’t need to wait for your contributor(s) to receive FSA IDs to get started on the FAFSA. Here’s the summary of the FAFSA steps you’ll take next:
Start the FAFSA form on FAFSA.gov. Follow the prompts and submit your personal information.
Follow the prompts for inviting contributor(s) to your form. You’ll need to supply their first and last name, SSN (if they have one), date of birth, email address and mailing address (if they don’t have an SSN). Make sure you enter this information exactly as your contributors did when requesting their FSA IDs. Refer to screenshots or records they took of their “personal information" page.
Once you invite your contributor(s), they will need to sign into their studentaid.gov account with their FSA ID. All undocumented contributor(s) must manually enter their financial information and sign their portion of the form. If they have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), they should include that on the form.
Select the schools you'd like to receive the form.
Sign your section of the form. You'll land on the "section complete" page.
Check your email for confirmation and your FAFSA submission summary. Save a copy of this message for your records and to share with any schools with upcoming FAFSA deadlines. You’ll also receive a Student Aid Index, which colleges use to determine your financial aid package.
More details and instructions are also available on StudentAid.gov.
How to get FAFSA help if you have undocumented parents
Students whose parents don’t have SSNs face extra FAFSA hurdles. If you or your parents or spouse need further assistance filling out your form, consider reaching out to the following resources:
Your high school's college or guidance counselor.
The financial aid office at your current or prospective college.
College access organizations in your community.
The government's FAFSA helpline: 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).
Some private lenders may allow you to borrow a student loan with a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen. Before considering private options, first submit the FAFSA so you exhaust all free money available, including federal, state and school grants and federal work-study. Then, move on to federal loans.
Use private loans as a last resort to fill in any gaps in your college costs. Private student loans don’t offer the same protections as federal student loans, such as income-driven repayment plans and loan forgiveness programs.
NerdWallet ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula for student loan products takes into account more than 50 data points across multiple categories, including repayment options, customer service, lender transparency, loan eligibility and underwriting criteria.
Fixed APR
3.19-17.99%
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply. (1)All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation. (2)As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000. (3)This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary. Information advertised valid as of 6/30/2025. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.
Variable APR
4.24-17.99%
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply. (1)All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation. (2)As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000. (3)This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary. Information advertised valid as of 6/30/2025. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.
NerdWallet ratingNerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula for student loan products takes into account more than 50 data points across multiple categories, including repayment options, customer service, lender transparency, loan eligibility and underwriting criteria.
Fixed APR
3.19-16.99%
Lowest rates shown include the auto debit discount. Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment. Advertised APRs are valid as of 6/23/2025. Loan amounts: For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website will be subject to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time. Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Student Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44. For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment amount may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years. A variable APR may increase over the life of the loan. A fixed APR will not.
Variable APR
4.37-16.49%
Lowest rates shown include the auto debit discount. Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment. Advertised APRs are valid as of 6/23/2025. Loan amounts: For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website will be subject to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time. Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Student Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44. For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment amount may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years. A variable APR may increase over the life of the loan. A fixed APR will not.
