How To File the FAFSA if Your Parents Are Undocumented (2025 Guide)

If you're among the 5.5 million U.S.-born children with at least one undocumented immigrant parent, you might worry that your parents' status will keep you from completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

But the good news is that federal financial aid eligibility is based on your own citizenship status. Your parents' immigration status has no effect on your FAFSA eligibility. Here's what you need to know about completing the FAFSA if one or both of your parents are undocumented.

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Can you complete the FAFSA if your parents are undocumented?

Mark Kantrowitz, author of “How To Appeal for More College Financial Aid,” says he wishes more students with undocumented parents understood FAFSA eligibility.

“A student who is a U.S. citizen is eligible for federal student aid even if their parents are undocumented,” Kantrowitz explains. “That's regardless of the citizenship status of their parents.”

However, Kantrowitz understands where some of the hesitation to complete the FAFSA may come from, considering the recent political discourse about deportation.

“Some undocumented parents are worried that providing their information on the FAFSA will 'out' them as undocumented,” he says. “But the information parents provide on the FAFSA is no different from the information they have already provided to the IRS.”

What to do if your parent doesn't have a Social Security number

Filling out the FAFSA can feel a little confusing if one or both of your parents don't have a Social Security number (SSN), since it's one of the required pieces of information on the form. If your parent doesn't have a Social Security number, you'll need to check the corresponding box under the SSN field in the form and leave the Social Security number field blank.

Do not enter your parent's Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in the spot where the FAFSA asks for the parent's Social Security number. The ITIN is the identification number undocumented taxpayers use to file their income tax return without a Social Security number, but the FAFSA requires you to indicate that the individual doesn't have a Social Security number. You'll need to provide your parent's ITIN elsewhere on the FAFSA.

Tips for submitting income and tax information

Many FAFSA filers will take advantage of the automatic transfer of tax information using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. However, if your parents are undocumented, they generally can't use this tool. In that case, your parents must provide their tax return information manually. The specific information needed will vary depending on your answers to the form questions. The full list of required information and where the information is located on IRS Form 1040 can be found on the Federal Student Aid (FSA) website.

But what if your parents didn't file taxes in 2023?

“If a contributor was required to file a tax return and pay taxes, but didn't, the student is ineligible for federal student aid,” Kantrowitz says. “No taxes, no aid.”

If that's the case, Kantrowitz suggests that your parents could obtain an ITIN and pay their 2023 taxes to ensure you're eligible for financial aid.

But if your parents' income was below the IRS filing threshold, you're still eligible for federal student aid.

“Your parents may need to obtain an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter by filing IRS Form 4506-T to prove their income fell below the filing threshold,” Kantrowitz says.

Check Out: FAFSA Income Limits and Eligibility for 2025

How to sign and submit the FAFSA

When it's time to sign and submit the FAFSA, you'll be able to use your FSA ID to sign the form electronically.

In the past, undocumented parents without a Social Security number had to print out the FAFSA, sign it manually, and send in the signature page via U.S. mail. However, as of 2024, undocumented parents without an SSN can create an FSA ID and use it to fill out their portion of the FAFSA, including signing and submitting the form.

Financial aid options for students with undocumented parents

There are several financial aid options for students with undocumented parents. These options include:

• Federal student aid: As long as the student is a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen, they can access federal financial aid options for higher education.
• State financial aid: While the specific requirements and rules vary by state, students with undocumented parents may be eligible for state funds for higher education.
• Institutional aid: Many colleges and universities offer financial aid directly to students based on need or merit, and parents' immigration status is typically unrelated to institutional aid eligibility.
• Private scholarships and grants: Businesses, organizations, and community groups may offer scholarships and grants to students based on need or merit and set their own eligibility criteria.
• Private student loans: Students with undocumented parents may consider taking out private student loans to pay for any education costs not covered by federal student aid, scholarships, or other funding. Eligibility requirements vary by lender.

Further Reading: How To Take Out a Student Loan