International Students

Financial Aid for International Students

International undergraduate students are considered for merit-based scholarships based on their application for admission. Merit-based scholarships are awarded by the Office of Admissions at the time of admission to Syracuse University. For questions about merit-based scholarships for international undergraduate students, please email orange@syr.edu.

International graduate students should contact Graduate Admissions to inquire about fellowships, scholarships, and other stipends directly from your academic department or email grad@syr.edu.

Only students who meet the below basic eligibility requirements should complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

Basic Student Eligibility Criteria

Federal basic eligibility requirements are that you must:

  • be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen (see below);
  • have a valid Social Security number (with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau);

Non-U.S. citizens that qualify for federal student aid are known as “eligible noncitizens.”

Eligible Noncitizen Definition

You are considered an eligible noncitizen if you fall into certain immigration categories, such as the ones listed below:

1. You are a U.S. national or permanent resident.

  • U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swains Island) or
  • U.S. permanent resident with a Form I-551 or I-151 (Permanent Resident Card, Resident Alien Card, or Alien Registration Receipt Card), also known as a “green card.”

2. You have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing one of the following status categories:*

  • Refugee
  • Asylum Granted
  • Conditional Permanent Resident
  • Cuban-Haitian Entrant
  • Conditional Entrant (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)
  • Parolee (you must be paroled for at least one year, and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen or permanent resident)
  • Modified parole requirements for
  • Ukrainian citizens and nationals paroled into the United States between Feb. 24, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2024
  • Afghan citizens and nationals paroled into the United States between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2023

3. You hold a T nonimmigrant status (“T-visa”) (for victims of human trafficking) or your parent holds a T-1 nonimmigrant status. Your college or career school’s financial aid office will ask to see your visa (and/or certification letter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you have a T-1 visa).*

4. You are a “battered immigrant-qualified alien” who is a victim of abuse by your citizen or permanent resident spouse, or you are the child of a person designated as such under the Violence Against Women Act.*

5. You are a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau. If this is the case, you may be eligible for only certain types of federal student aid:

*To qualify for federal student aid, certain eligible noncitizens must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that they are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.