Eligibility for financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education is restricted to U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens. The state of Delaware also requires U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status for state-sponsored financial aid. For both federal and state of Delaware financial aid purposes, an eligible noncitizen is one of the following:

• A U.S. permanent resident who has a Permanent Resident Card (I-551 or I-151) (also known as a green card)
• A conditional permanent resident with a conditional Green Card (I-551C)
• A noncitizen with an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (specifically, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) showing any one of the following designations: “Refugee,” “Asylum Granted,” “Paroled” (the I-94 must confirm ‘paroled for a minimum of 1-year and status’ has not expired), “Conditional Entrant” (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980) or “Cuban-Haitian Entrant, status pending”
• A student also may qualify as an eligible noncitizen if he or she holds a T-visa (for victims of human trafficking) or if his or her parent holds a T-1 visa.

If you are neither a U.S. citizen nor an eligible noncitizen, you are not eligible for federal student aid or state of Delaware financial assistance; for example, you are not eligible if you are in the U.S. on one of the following:

• An F-1, F-2 or M-1 student visa
• A J-1 or J-2 exchange visitor visa
• A B-1 or B-2 visitor visa
• A G series visa (pertaining to international organizations)
• An H series or L series visa (allowing temporary employment in the U.S.)
• A “Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence” (I-171 or I-464)
• An I-94 stamped “Temporary Protected Status”

Last updated 7.16.12