Carleton College. Photo by Joshua Whitman.
President-elect Donald Trump’s promises to deport millions of undocumented people could discourage some college applicants — including American citizens — from seeking the federal financial aid that millions of students rely on to attend college.
Trump has promised to declare a national emergency and mobilize the military to deport undocumented immigrants, though he has not provided key details of the plan: how those immigrants will be identified, notified of their deportation and transported out of the country.
The unknowns have placed students with undocumented parents in a risky position: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is how students access federal scholarships and loans, and it’s also how many universities calculate their own financial aid packages. It also asks for parents’ Social Security numbers.
The application offers a separate identity verification process for parents without Social Security numbers, and some experts fear that data could be misused to identify and potentially deport those individuals. (The student applying for federal aid must have a Social Security number to complete the form.)
The National College Attainment Network, which lobbies for increased college access, sent an email to members Thursday urging mixed-status families to “make a considered decision about whether to submit a FAFSA.”
The situation underscores the many ways the newly re-elected Trump and his mass deportation plans could affect the lives of millions of immigrants and their families, in everything from health care to education and the criminal justice system.
The Higher Education Act prohibits the use of FAFSA data for anything other than processing financial aid awards, but Trump is not known for his fealty to legal details.
The letter from the National College Attainment Network continues: “We cannot assure you that individuals who are undocumented might not be identified and targeted for punitive action in the future. Because of the potential stakes of this process, we want every individual to have as much information as possible before submitting identifying information to the federal government … For some, the potential risks could now outweigh even the considerable benefits of federal student aid.”
More than half of college students receive federal financial aid; without completing the FAFSA, students could face the full sticker price of college tuition. Minnesota State community and technical colleges cost more than $6,000 per year on average. Minnesota State’s four-year universities, which are thousands of dollars cheaper than the University of Minnesota, cost over $10,000 annually before financial aid — not counting housing or food costs.
The IRS also maintains protected data on taxpayers who don’t have Social Security numbers — many undocumented workers in the U.S. use an IRS-issued alternative taxpayer identification number — but the U.S. Department of Education is a more likely political target.
Trump has promised to shut down the Department of Education, which houses the federal student loan and grant programs. Eliminating the agency would require approval from the Republican-controlled Congress, and it’s unclear what the ramifications would be for federal financial aid.
Trump has nominated professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the agency.
Caitlyn Cole, director of career and college readiness for Achieve Twin Cities, said her team will troubleshoot individual student and family scenarios, and is awaiting guidance from the state Office of Higher Education.
“We do believe that Trump’s threats will discourage mixed-status families to apply for the FAFSA,” Cole said.
Students with undocumented parents also encountered issues with the FAFSA last year. The federal government rolled out a new application, leading to major delays for all students, and causing glitches in the section of the form where people without a Social Security number could request alternative identity verification.
The FAFSA for the 2025-26 school year opened Thursday, more than a month and a half later than the usual opening date of Oct. 1.