The Financial Aid C-Flag Citizenship Process The Solution Center The Financial Aid C-Flag Citizenship Process

Objective How to identify a Citizenship C-Flag What you will learn? How to identify a Citizenship C-Flag What acceptable documentation is required How to receive documents How to identify the C-Flag has been resolved

Eligibility Requirements To be eligible for federal aid a student must be: U.S. Citizen, or U.S. Permanent Resident or other Eligible Non-Citizen

FAFSA Matches Student’s name, SSN, and DOB provide on FAFSA is matched with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify U.S. Citizenship status FAFSA’s with an Alien Registration Number (A#) are matched against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records to verify eligible non-citizen status Un/Successful matches results generate an ISIR Comment Code Unsuccessful matches will also produce a C-Flag

Successful Match View comment codes on FA ISIR Corrections Page, third tab Comment Code 143: Citizenship Status was confirmed and no further action is required

Unsuccessful Match Comment Code 146: Citizenship was not confirmed; student must provide appropriate documentation to the school

Where to Find the C-Flag View C-Flag on FA ISIR Corrections Page, fourth tab

C-Flag Checklist Checklist Assign Mod assigns “Citizenship Documentation” checklist to students with a unsuccessful match View checklists on FA Status Page

Acceptable Documentation Acceptable documentation include, but are not limited to: A copy of the student’s birth certificate showing the student’s place of birth U.S. Passport, signed, current or expired A Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561) issued by USCIS to individuals who derive U.S. citizenship through a parent A Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570), to those who are individually naturalized A Permanent Resident (Alien) Card   Students with an I-94 or I-94A with the endorsement “Processed for I-551", also, students with these who have refugee or asylee status may be eligible Please refer to the Federal Student Handbook, pages 1-20 to 1-29, for additional acceptable documentation

Original Documents Only Original citizenship documents must be signed and presented in person Paperwork from every situation may be carried forward from year to year Copy of the Permanent Resident Card and G-845 may be sent to USCIS every year, but we do not need a new copy of the card from the student Note: Students who live out of state and are unable to come in person to the office, may submit an actual notarized copy of the necessary document

Notifications Missing Information Letter (MIL) notifications are generated from Financial Aid Office requesting proof of Citizenship   MIL notifications are sent to the Student’s UMass Lowell Email Account every 21 days until completed Students may also view missing items under iSiS self-service “To Do List” at anytime

How to Receive the Document Team member must: Review original document for validity Confirm document is signed Photo copy original document (Perm Resident card must copy both front and back side) Stamp “date” and “copy of orig” Team member must initial copied document Update Checklist status to “received”

Verify C-Flag Cleared by FAO Checklist status is “Completed” SSA / DHS override flag checked Comment indicating type of documentation provided and reviewed Note: Some documentation must be submitted to DHS for secondary verification. Comments are placed on student account when document is sent and received back from DHS.