President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law 78 years ago, in 1935. Social Security is a program that provides financial assistance to U.S. citizens over the age of 65. According to the White House Social Security statement, “Social Security helps provide almost 58 million Americans, including 37 million retired workers and 8 million disabled workers, with economic security.”

While F and M students are not eligible for the monetary benefits of the Social Security program, you do have to apply for a Social Security number (SSN) if you want employment while you study in the United States. The SSN is used to track employment for taxation purposes. If you are interested in employment, talk to your designated school official (DSO) to find out if you are eligible. Once your DSO or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services authorizes you to be employed (either on- or off-campus, or for practical training), you can apply for your SSN.

To obtain an SSN, you need to do the following: