US student loans are available for international students from around the world. We get many questions from you about the application process and one of our most frequently asked questions is whether international students need social security numbers in order to apply for student loans.

The good news is that you don’t!

Social Security Numbers (SSN) are not a required part of the application process, and many lenders will work with foreign students even if they do not have a social security number – that is as long as you have a US cosigner OR are applying for a loan that does not require a cosigner.

Some international student loan applications allow you to apply right online without making the social security number field required, while others do not. If you find that you are unable to proceed because you do not have one, contact the lender before you give up!

If you receive an error that you are unable to proceed, you can call them and they’ll give you a paper application instead.

Why, you ask?

Many of the student loan application forms were designed with US domestic students in mind and they wanted to make sure that the form is completed in its entirety. But that may not mean that you are ineligible.

If you get an error message, be sure to:

  1. Review the online application and make sure you completed the fields correctly
  2. Call the number listed on the application form for advice on how to proceed

Want to learn more about social security numbers and international students? Check out our article that will detail even more information on this subject so that you can get your international student loan to help fund your international education. And for more on student aid you may be interested in the resources at IEFA.org.

Are you interested in studying in Canada instead?

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