Immigration Advice for Immigrants Including Undocumented Students

For immigrants, especially undocumented immigrant students there are a lot of questions about the impact their immigration status will have on getting college financial aid.  EdducationRealSimple has written in the past about universities that accept undocumented students.  But there are a lot of questions that need the help of immigration experts.  Here is a list of organizations that can help immigrants with their immigration status questions.  Manny helps students even with Dream Act questions.  They speak your language, are happy to answer your questions and some are free.

For a List of Agencies who can help: Click here. 

Universities that Accept Undocumented Students

Here is a list of universities that accept undocumented students:

Freedom University: http://www.freedomuniversitygeorgia.com

Notre Dame University:

In 2013, Notre Dame University announced that it will follow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) guidelines issued by the Department of Homeland Security to address undocumented applicants.  The university will no longer treat undocumented students as international students. 

Admissions: http://admissions.nd.edu/admission-and-application/

New York Universities: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/scmsAdmin/uploads/004/486/access_to_postsecondary.pdf

Illinois Universities:

• Chicago State University
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://csu.edu/Admissions/documents/JohnADMISH200912301010911.pdf
  • Under Citizenship, check the option that states: “Requesting consideration under Illinois Public Act 93-007”
• Eastern Illinois University
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://www.eiu.edu/~admissions/pdf/eiuundergradapp.pdf
  • Check the option that states: “Illinois House Bill 60 (undocumented)”
• Governors State University
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://www.govst.edu/uploadedFiles/Apply/gsu_undergraduate_application.pdf
  • See note #4 under Instructions. Under Citizenship Status, check “Undocumented”
• Illinois State University
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://admissions.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/undergraduate_application.pdf
  • See question 8 and check the option that states: “I am requesting admission as an “undocumented” student who lives in the United States with no documentation stating U.S. citizenship or legal residency”
• Northeastern Illinois University
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://www.neiu.edu/DOCUMENTS/Admissions%20-%20Docs/Undergraduate_Applic...
  • Under Citizenship Status, check the option that states: “Non U.S. Citizen (select if other categories do not apply”
• Northern Illinois University
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://www.neiu.edu/DOCUMENTS/Admissions%20-%20Docs/Undergraduate_Applic...
  • Under Citizenship Status, check the option that states: “Non U.S. Citizen (select if other categories do not apply”
• Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admission http://admissions.siuc.edu/pdfs/2010-2011app.pdf
  • Under Citizenship, check the option that states: “Requesting consideration under Illinois Public Act 93-007”
• Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admission http://www.siue.edu/apply/pdf/2011-2012-SIUE-undergraduate-application.pdf
  • Answer questions 8 and 9. Under question 9, check the option that states: “Requesting consideration under Illinois Public Act 93-007”
• University of Illinois at Chicago
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/forms/application_undergrad_freshman.pdf
  • See question 8. Check the option that states: “Non-citizen”
  • Also, complete the Illinois Residency Affidavit Formhttp://www.usp.uillinois.edu/residency/Affidavit.pdf
• University of Illinois at Springfield
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://www.uis.edu/admissions/documents/2010-2011UndergradApplication.pdf
  • Under General Information, answer questions under the option that states: “I am requesting consideration under Public Act 93-7”
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://admissions.illinois.edu/application/pdf/app10_f.pdf
  • Check option “H: Noncitizen” on question 10 and answer question 27
• Western Illinois University
  • Complete the Application for Undergraduate Admissionhttp://www.student.services.wiu.edu/admissions/pdf/application.pdf.
  • Select the option that states: “Requesting consideration under Illinois Public Act 93-7”

What's Next?

Get comfortable asking for help. Planning for college is not something you do by yourself— it’s really a team effort. But it is up to you to put together your team. That means talking to the adults in your life who can help—from your parent, guardian or other family member to your teacher, school counselor, college coach, and mentors at local community organizations.

Meet Your School Counselor and College Coach

Seek guidance and get answers to your questions. School counselor and your college and career coach are two of your best resources when planning for college. Counselors and college coaches have information about admission tests, college preparation and your education and career options. They are aware of colleges that admit and grant institutional aid to undocumented students.

Take the right classes.

To get into college, start by taking the right classes in high school. Find out what classes you need to meet entrance requirements and sign up for them now. Lock in requirements. You may not need them to finish high school, but most colleges require three to four years of math, English, science and social studies. Plus, most want at least two years of the same foreign language.

Take high school courses that count towards your college degree.

Take the ACT and SAT seriously.

Going to College: Barriers and Opportunities for Undocumented Students

Undocumented children are allowed to go to grade school and high school. After graduation from high school, undocumented students face possible legal and financial barriers to going to college.  There are three things to think when deciding to college here in the United States: 1) Getting accepted into a college; 2) Tuition and 3) Financial help.

Getting into College

Do not assume that you can't go to college in the United States.  There is no federal law that says you can't go to a public or private U.S. college.  There are no laws that require students to prove their U.S. citizenship in order to go to college.  What usually is that once a person is accepted into the university, the office sends the student an I-20 form to process at the consulate office in his/her native country.  This will help the student get a visa. Unfortunately, if the student is already in the country illegally, the student is not eligible for this student visa.  There are some college policies (rules) that require the student to prove the student is in the United States legally like citizenship, permanent residency or some other visa. This is not a law.  Some colleges accept undocumented students but treat them as out of state students or foreign students and therefore charge them the much higher out of state tuition.  Some states will charge undocumented students the much cheaper "in state" tuition if the student can prove they went to high school in the same state they are applying for college.  

Tuition

Some states allow undocumented students to pay the cheaper in state tuition.  See the attached "Repository Resources for Undocumented Students" for a list of states that undocumented students can pay in state tuition rates.

Undocumented students cannot receive federally funded financial aid which includes loans, grants or scholarships or work study money.  Most states also do not allow undocumented students state funded financial aid. Many private scholarships also make it hard for undocumented students to get financial aid.  Many private scholarships make it hard for undocumented to get financial aid.  Private organizations have their own rules. Some give scholarships to undocumented students.

More Information:

Check if you are eligible to stay in the United States under DACA: link     Informacion sobre DACA en espanol: Link     Be careful about fraud when seeking Immigration legal help: Link Scholarships: Chicago Community College scholarships: http://www.illinoisdreamfund.org

Applying for Scholarships

A college education is an expensive but importnat investment.  The best time to research college scholarships is in the freshman year of high school when you have time to plan.  Learn what scholarships are available beyond need based grants. Many schools, foundations and not for profit organizations provide merit based scholarships, like performing arts, ethnic, geographic, academic or sports scholarships and more. Below are some links to various scholarship options:

Chicago Area Scholarships:

University of Chicago has a special scholarship program for Chicago Public School students who get accepted into their school.  Click on the link for more information. 

https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/search/node/cps

Scholarships to study abroad:

Studying in a foriegn country is a great way to broaden your education and there are scholarships for people interested in going out of the country to study.  

Try: http://www.studyabroad.com/scholarships.aspx

Scholarships for all students including undocumented students:

Try : http://www.maldef.org/leadership/scholarships/index.html

Scholarships for International Students:

If you don't live in the United States, you can do some research on colleges and financial aid opportunities at EducationUSA.  This service of the U.S. Department of State and the Insititute of International Education provides a lot of information.  There is also a frequently updated list of financial aid opportunties and a guide to advise centers in countries around the world where you can talk to experts in person.  They can help you search schools, translate information and learn about options.  You should take a look at ForeignBorn.com for useful information on applying to schools, obtaining a student visa and more.