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Filling Out the FAFSA: I’m a Citizen, But My Parents or Spouse Are Undocumented Immigrants
Here’s how U.S. citizen students with undocumented parents can submit the 2026-27 FAFSA.
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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.
Whitney Vandiver writes for NerdWallet, currently focusing on home services, and has been published in The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Seattle Times and The Independent. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading with a hot latte and spending time with her family. She is based in Houston.
Julie Myhre-Nunes leads the Home Services team, covering home improvement, home warranties, home security, solar and moving. She also leads Auto Loans and Student Loans. Julie has over a decade of experience in personal finance. Before joining NerdWallet, she led editorial teams at Red Ventures and several startups. Her personal finance insights have been featured in Forbes, The Boston Globe and CNBC, while her writing has appeared in USA Today, Business Insider, Wired Insights and more.
All U.S. citizens can apply for federal financial aid, regardless of their parents' or spouse’s immigration status. And the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) doesn’t ask about your parents’ or spouse’s citizenship status, so you don’t have to worry about your application drawing attention if your spouse or parents are undocumented immigrants.
🤓Nerdy Tip
When can I submit my FAFSA application? The FAFSA for the 2025-26 academic year is open for all students until June 30, 2026. The FAFSA for the 2026-27 school year is open until June 30, 2027.
Can I submit the FAFSA if my parents or spouse don’t have Social Security numbers?
Yes, you can and you should still submit your FAFSA if this is the case. Depending on your situation, your parent(s) or your spouse may be considered contributors for your FAFSA. A contributor is someone whose financial information is required for the Department of Education to calculate your financial need, which is usually provided as a tax return.
But if your spouse or parents don’t have Social Security numbers (SSNs) or don’t file tax returns, you can still have them submit information to let you file your FAFSA. What they provide and the sections they fill out will be different from what other parents or spouses might complete because they don’t have a SSN.
Did you know...
At this time, 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 to verify identities
You and your FAFSA contributors have to request your ownFederal Student Aid (FSA) IDs before filling out the FAFSA. 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 up to three days to receive your FSA ID after you request it.
Screenshot contributors’ information they submit
Parents or spouses without SSNs will need to follow extra steps to request an FSA ID. It is important that you use the exact same language as your contributors when filling out their information in your part of the FAFSA. For example using “Road” when a contributor used “Rd.” can be a problem. To be certain you’re doing this, ask your contributors to screenshot or record the exact language they use for their “personal information” section.
Check if contributors need to confirm their identities
If your parent’s or spouse’s identity is immediately verified, they can begin fully using their FAFSA account right away. If their identity isn’t immediately verified, they can still access the FAFSA form, but their account will have limited functionality until they verify their identity.
Getting documents together for the FAFSA
Go ahead and help your contributors gather important financial documents to make the process go more smoothly. For the 2026-27 FAFSA, these documents may include:
2024 tax returns.
Records of child support you received from your ex-spouse (if you're divorcced).
Current balances of cash, savings and checking accounts.
Net worth of investments, businesses and farms.
What if a contributor doesn’t file taxes or have a bank account?
If a contributor doesn’t file taxes, they can provide information about how much they earn instead of referencing specific items on a tax return. Contributors manually enter information like how much money they have saved, so they don’t have to have a bank account either.
Steps to fill out the FAFSA for U.S. citizens with undocumented parents or spouses
You don’t need to wait for your contributors to receive FSA IDs to get started on the FAFSA. Here’s what to do:
Start the FAFSA form on FAFSA.gov. Follow the instructions to submit your personal information.
Next, use the website to invite contributors to add their information to your form. You’ll need to supply their first and last name, date of birth and email address. You’ll need to include their SSN; if they don’t have one, click on the box under the SSN field, leave the SSN field blank and enter their mailing address exactly as they did when requesting an FSA ID. Make sure you enter this information exactly as your contributors did when requesting their FSA IDs.
Add the schools you want to receive your FAFSA information and sign the form. You’ll then land on the “section complete” page.
Once your contributors receive their email invitations, they will need to sign into their studentaid.gov account with their FSA ID. All undocumented contributors 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.
Confirm that you and your contributors have successfully completed your individual sections. Your FAFSA is not submitted until every contributor’s section is complete.
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.
If you received an error while completing your FAFSA or want more detailed instructions, go to 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, 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 at 1-800-433-3243.
NerdWallet editorial 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
2.89-17.99%
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 8/11/2025. 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 8/11/2025. 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 editorial 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
2.89-17.49%
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 8/11/2025. 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
4.37-16.99%
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 8/11/2025. 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.
