Rep. Veasey Introduces Bill to Help Students with Noncitizen Parents

Washington, D.C.—Today, Thursday, April 16, 2015, Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, introduced H.R. 1833, the FAFSA For All Act, that would streamline the process of applying for federal aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for American students who have noncitizen parents who are either undocumented or have legal work status.

H.R. 1833 would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and require the Department of Education to include guidance on how dependent students with noncitizen parents may obtain Federal Student Assistance. In addition, the bill includes provisions for an online upload tool to streamline the application process.

"I believe that it is important that all children have equal access to achieve their higher education aspirations," said Congressman Veasey. "That is why I introduced H.R. 1833 that would ensure that no child faces additional burdens to achieve their dreams because of their financial or family background or complicated forms and procedures. It is time to ensure that no child falls through the cracks of our education system."

Currently written Department of Education policies for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) do not bar children with parents without legal status from obtaining federal aid. However, these students face additional steps to complete the application and must mail in their forms, an extra step that takes the Department of Education weeks or months to process.

"Students applying for federal financial aid have been experiencing difficulties in the application process because many of their parents do not have social security numbers," explained Jasmine Clayton, a former Advise Texas high school counselor. "For many students completing the application on their own, they are unaware of the additional steps they must take which leads to students missing out on critical financial opportunities. Many families here in Texas already face significant difficulties sending their child to school and they cannot afford to miss out on additional financial opportunities."

Students with parents with social security numbers, on the other hand, can simply use an electronic PIN and have their application processed online within hours. It is also important to note that this guidance is not clearly posted on the FAFSA application.

"When I was applying for federal aid using the FAFSA, I didn't know that my parents not having a social security number would mean that I needed to mail in a form and wait for weeks to hear back, unlike my other friends," said Veronica, student at Trimble Tech High School. "This bill would make sure students like me have an opportunity to go to college."