Registration Eligibility
Students should only complete ONE financial aid application (FAFSA or MASFA) per award year.
Complete the Federal Application for State Financial Aid (FAFSA) if you meet one of the following criteria:
- You are a US Citizen OR
- You are an eligible non-citizen. An eligible non-citizen is a U.S. national, U.S. permanent resident with a I-551, I-151, I-551C (Permanent Resident Card, Resident Alien Card, or Alien Registration Receipt Card), or an individual who has an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the 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)
- Victims of human trafficking, T-visa (T-2, T-3, T-4, etc.) holder
- 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)
Complete the Massachusetts Application for State Financial Aid (MASFA) if you meet ALL of the following criteria:
- Meet the Massachusetts “High School Completer” Status – you attended a Massachusetts High School for at least three (3) years AND earned a MA high school diploma (or equivalent, e.g., GED, HiSet)
- Are not present in the United States on a visa or immigration status within the meaning of 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(A-S)
- Have physically resided in Massachusetts for at least one year