Citizenship Verification

The Tennessee Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act (EVEA) became effective on October 1, 2012.  The EVEA requires state public institutions of higher education to verify that persons seeking a “state public benefit” are either a “United States citizen” or “lawfully present” in the United States. We must verify the citizenship or lawful presence of students who apply for admission for terms beginning Spring 2013 or later and are assigned a residency category that is eligible for state benefits.  (The term “state benefit” includes in-state tuition, lottery scholarship, academic scholarship, or any other form of tuition assistance or waiver funded with state-appropriated dollars.  State benefit does not include tuition assistance funded privately, such as a scholarship from the institution’s foundation or a privately endowed scholarship.)

Documentation can be submitted directly to the Admissions and Records Office, emailed to admissions@jscc.edu, or uploaded to your Green Jay Portal.

We do not have to verify the citizenship or lawful presence of dual enrollment students who are under 18 years of age.

Verification procedures for all other students seeking a "state benefit", U.S. citizenship, qualified alien status, or lawful presence shall be verified in one of the following ways:

• • Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form for which the student's U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizenship status is confirmed by the federal government.

If you are a U.S. citizen or possess either a TN driver license or REAL ID from any state, you may verify your status by presenting one (1) of the following:¹

1. A valid, non-temporary, TN driver license card (including a learner’s permit or restricted driver license), or photo identification card,

2. A valid, non-temporary, driver license, or photo identification card (including a learner’s permit or restricted driver license) issued by any U.S. state, if marked as a REAL ID;

3. A United-States, government-issued certified birth certificate;

4. A valid, unexpired U.S. passport;

5. An official birth certificate issued by a U.S. State, jurisdiction, or territory; except for Puerto Rican birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010;

6. A US certificate of birth abroad (DS-1350 or FS-545);

7. A report of birth abroad of a citizen of the U.S. (FS-240);

8. A certificate of citizenship (N560 or N561);

9. A certificate of naturalization (N550, N570 or N578);

10. A U.S. citizen identification card (1-197, 1-179);

11. Any successor document to items 1 -9 above;

12. A social security number that can be verified with the social security administration; or

13. Other acceptable document, after consultation with TBR Office of General Counsel.

14. For incarcerated individuals, a memo from the TN Department of Corrections (TDOC) confirming verification of U.S. citizenship/lawful presence consistent with T.C.A. 4-58-101 et seq.

To establish status as a qualified alien who is lawfully present in the U.S. (If not a U.S. citizen or do not possess a TN or Real ID driver license) you may present two (2) of the following:²

1. A valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card;

2. Valid, unexpired Foreign Passport with Visa Stamped "Processed for I-551" (Permanent U.S. Residence);

3. Permanent Resident Re-entry Permit (I-327);

4. Valid, unexpired Employment Authorization Card (EAD);

5. Visa permitting study at an institution of higher education in the U.S.³

6. Arrival/Departure Record for visa classification permitting study at an institution of higher education in the U.S.;⁴

7. Notice of Approval of Status for visa classification permitting study at an institution of higher education in the U.S., with bottom I-94 portion attached (Form I-797)⁵;

8. Refugee travel document (I-571);

9. Asylum (I-94 stating asylum granted for period of 1 year to indefinitely)

10. Valid unexpired Foreign Passport with a valid Visa in a category that permits study at an institution of higher education;⁶

11. Any other document determined by the US Department of Homeland Security to be acceptable through the SAVE program to establish status as a qualified alien with lawful presence in the U.S. pursuant to 8 U.S.C. §1641(b).⁷

Resource: https://www.uscis.gov/save/commonly-used-immigration-documents

¹ If the document presented does not include a picture ID, applicant must submit some form of valid, government issued, picture ID for verification of identity along with the listed document.

² If the documents presented do not include a picture ID, applicant must submit some form of valid, government issued, picture ID for verification of identity along with the listed documents.

³ Adults; F, J, M, A, H, and NATO. Minors; All categories except B, C, and D. Consult with TBR Office of General Counsel regarding status of applicants presenting a visa that is derivative of a primary visa holder, generally denoted by a numerical indicator greater than 1.

⁴ See footnote 3 above.

⁵ See footnote 3 above.

⁶ See footnote 3 above.

⁷ Consult with TBR Office of General Counsel if an applicant presents any document that is not listed in this guidance document to establish that they are a qualified alien, lawfully present in the U.S.

Those who are granted "deferred action" status are eligible for work authorization. They can also obtain social security cards, work authorization cards and, in some states, driver licenses. This deferred action status does NOT confer "lawful presence" status under federal law or Tennessee state law. Specifically, "deferred action status" does NOT satisfy the requirement of "lawful presence" under the EVEA.

Driver licenses, photo identification cards or work authorization cards issued on the basis of an individual's deferred status are NOT sufficient to satisfy EVEA requirements. Tennessee grants Temporary Driver Licenses and Temporary Identification Licenses to persons in deferred action status. Those licenses, by themselves, do NOT satisfy EVEA requirements because they are not supported by adequate documentation to establish lawful presence.