FACT CHECK #7RDKDGWR

WHAT WE FOUND

The claim that Barack Obama applied for or received college financial aid as a foreign student is false and originated from an April Fools' Day hoax in 2009 347. Multiple high-credibility sources, including Snopes, PolitiFact, and FactCheck.org, have confirmed that no such records exist 123. The alleged transcript showing he received aid as a foreign student under the name Barry Soetoro was part of a satirical news story released on April 1, 2009, which was later circulated as a factual report by detractors 78. Additionally, images of a Columbia University ID card identifying Obama as a foreign student were found to be digitally altered 6. These ID cards were not even introduced by Columbia until 1996, thirteen years after Obama graduated in 1983 6. Official statements from Occidental College confirm that the story was a fake news item and has been thoroughly discredited 7.

SOURCES

1. 1 · snopes.comFACT-CHECKER
   Was Barack Obama a Foreign College Student? | Snopes.com

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2. 2 · politifact.comFACT-CHECKER
   PolitiFact | E-mail claims Obama's college transcripts reveal Indonesian citizenship

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3. 3 · factcheck.orgFACT-CHECKER
   April Fools'... Still - FactCheck.org

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4. 4 · answers.comACADEMIC
   Is Obama the first President to apply for college aid as a foreign student then deny he was a foreigner? - Answers

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5. 5 · usatoday.comFACT-CHECKER
   Fact check: Eight years of trolling Obama

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6. 6 · reuters.comACADEMIC
   False claim: Obama’s Columbia University ID card shows he was a foreign student | Reuters

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7. 7 · obamascholars.oxy.eduACADEMIC
   School of Barack | The Barack Obama Scholars Program

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8. 8 · latimes.comWEB
   'Birthers' claim Obama applied to college as a foreigner - Los Angeles Times

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9. 9 · sites.google.comWEB
   Article Summary: Breaking: Obama College Records Released-Financial Aid As A Foreigner! - The Citizen Activist

   TIER B

THE READING