Acceptable Documents
What is on this page
Board approval
At its meeting for March 2007, the District Governing Board of the College approved the following types of documents to show lawful presence in the U.S.:
Documentation That Shows Lawful Presence in The U.S.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) when processed by the U.S. Department of Education to show that the applicant is a citizen or eligible non-citizen/lawful immigrant
- I-9, a federal Department of Justice form, or an equivalent form or list developed by the College (Note: this authorizes the College to use all the documents approved on the I-9 form for purposes stated on the I-9 form, namely proof of identity, and proof of lawful presence in the U.S.)
- Arizona driver’s license upon approval of legal counsel (Note: as of March 26, 2007, legal counsel has approved this documentation for most situations)
- Electronic or other matches with federal databases upon approval of legal counsel
- Other documentation that is (a) listed in the following “Operational Procedures and Training References for Proposition 300” or (b) which may be approved by legal counsel or established by statewide consensus of colleges in the future. (Note: the procedures and training references are not shown on this web page; they are available to staff upon request)
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Overview of uses of documents
Three key uses for documentation
Sometimes one document may serve to prove one or more of the following:
- Identity--a document may show identity but not necessarily prove lawful presence in the U.S. or Arizona residency (e.g., a high school or college ID card with a picture)
- Lawful presence in the U.S.--a document may show that someone is lawfully present in the U.S., but not necessarily prove identity or that the person is a legal resident of Arizona (e.g., a birth certificate)
- Legal domicile (residency) in Arizona--a document may support a claim of Arizona residency, yet not prove identity or show that the person is lawfully present in the U.S. (e.g., a copy of a bank record showing an Arizona permanent address)
Some documents may establish more than one of the above. For example, a U.S. passport would show both identity and lawful presence in the U.S. but it would not show legal domicile in Arizona.
In all cases, any documents received by the College are protected under FERPA (the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) as well as College Policies and Procedures. The documents are not part of what is known as "directory information" (information that can be released to the public). Therefore, the documents a student provides cannot be released except as otherwise provided by FERPA (e.g., court order, subpoena, educational need to know of a College employee, etc.). You can read more about FERPA in the College Catalog as well as in the link above.
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Documents that will show lawful presence in the U.S.
Based on Board approval as noted above, the following is a list of acceptable documents for proving a student's status.
Documents may be faxed, mailed, e-mailed or submitted in person. Copies or transmitted documents must be legible. Final residency decisions for tuition purposes will be made in accordance with A.R.S. §15-1801 et seq., as well as the policies and procedures of the College.
If you have other documentation that you believe shows your lawful presence, we will review it carefully to assist you.
Note: almost all students can document their lawful presence with one or more of the following: Arizona ID or driver's license issued after 1996, U.S. Passport, birth certificate, alien resident card, or visa. The following detail is a comprehensive list for students who may not have the preceding documentation. It is also intended to be useful for College and high school staff throughout the district.
- United States citizenship--acceptable documentation
- Students who are citizens, if otherwise eligible, can take Adult Education classes, can receive financial assistance that includes state monies, and can be classified as residents for in-state tuition rates). Here are documents that show citizenship.
- Birth certificate showing birth in the United States, including Puerto Rico (on or after January 13, 1941), Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands (on or after January 17, 1917), American Samoa, Swain's Island, or the Northern Mariana Islands, unless the person was born to foreign diplomats residing in the US.
- Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570) issued by USCIS through a federal or state court or through administrative naturalization after December 1990
- Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561) issued by USCIS
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) issued by State Department
- Certificate of Birth Issued by a Foreign Service Post (FS-545) issued by State Department
- Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1350) issued by State Department
- United States Passport, current or expired (unless stamped Non-citizen National)
- Confirmation of citizenship or lawful immigrant status through the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process
- Arizona ID or driver's license issued after 1996 (and is still valid)
- Students who have the ID or driver's license, if otherwise eligible, can take Adult Education classes, can receive financial assistance that includes state monies, and can be classified as residents for in-state tuition rates
- Driver's license or ID--current valid Arizona Motor Vehicle Department Driver License/Identification Card issued August 1, 1996 or later
- Note: In some cases, Arizona ID may be insufficient for College purposes to document lawful presence in the U.S. In that case, College staff may require additional documentation as needed for the circumstances of a student.
- Permanent Resident Alien--acceptable documentation
- Students who are resident aliens, if otherwise eligible, can take Adult Education classes, can receive financial assistance that includes state monies, and can be classified as residents for in-state tuition rates
- Permanent Resident Card (Form I-151 since 1997)
- Resident Alien Card (Form I-551 before 1997)
- Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 issued prior to June 1978)
- Arrival/Departure Record (CP Form I-94 or I-94A) with endorsement
- Processed for I-551 if expiration date has not passed
- Refugee or Asylee--acceptable documentation
- Students who are refugees or asylees, if otherwise eligible, can take Adult Education classes, can receive financial assistance that includes state monies, and can be classified as residents for in-state tuition rates
- Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571 since 2003)
- I-94 or I-94A with stamp showing admission under Section 207 (refugees) or Section 208 (Asylee) of the Immigration Nationality Act (INA)
- Parolee documentation
- Non-Immigrant Aliens who are lawfully present in the U.S.--acceptable documentation
- Students who are lawful non-immigrant aliens, if otherwise eligible, can take Adult Education classes, can receive financial assistance that includes state monies, but cannot be classified as residents for in-state tuition rates)
- Current Employment Authorization Document (Form I-688B or I-766)
- Current Non-immigrant Visa (there are a variety of types of visas)
- Current Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) or CBP I-94A for Mexico and Canada
- Current Border Crosser Card (Form DSP-150)
Other important points:
- Copying documents: Although some documents may instruct the holder not to photocopy them, the USCIS has advised the Department of Education that these documents and others may be photocopied if done for lawful purposes such as documenting citizenship for the purpose of determining eligibility. Copies must be clear, true duplications of the original valid document. The College reserves the right to view the original of the document.
- The College may ask for more documents: The College may require documentation that is in addition to a valid Arizona Driver License/Identification Card or in addition to other documents to prove citizenship or lawful presence in the United States.
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Lawful immigrants who can receive Title IV federal financial aid
Click here for the U.S. Department of Education Guide for which immigrants can receive Title IV financial aid (federal aid).
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Non-citizens, non-immigrants who can take classes under certain conditions
Click here for a list showing which non-immigrant visas allow the holder to take classes while in the U.S.
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