Undocumented Students

Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents but you live and attend high school in the U.S. faced special challenges during the college admissions process. Following are some questions and answers about undocumented students who wish to attend college in the United States.

Who is an undocumented student?

An undocumented student is one who lives in the U.S. and has attended high school here, but who does not have official legal status as a permanent resident or a citizen. Many undocumented students were brought to the U.S. by their parents when they were very young. They may consider themselves to be "American" because they have grown up here, and have attended U.S. schools. Some undocumented students may not know their legal status because some parents who are not here legally are afraid to tell their children of their status. While the majority of undocumented students are from Mexico, it's important for consultants to be aware that there are also undocumented students from Asia, Latin America, and many other countries as well.

How do I know if a student is undocumented?

Many undocumented students and their parents are cautious about revealing their status to come consultants and school officials. They may deny being undocumented if you ask outright,( and of course, you should never make assumptions.) However, if you believe that a student may be undocumented, you can indicate that they can feel secure that any information that they share with you will be kept confidential and encourage them to share anything that they feel is important to you for you to know.

How will the legal status of an undocumented students affect his or her chances of admission to a college?

Most colleges and universities in the U.S. will consider undocumented students for admission.

Will undocumented students be considered in the international student pool when admissions decisions are made?

Each college has its own policies on this. Some treat undocumented students who have attended high school in the U.S. the same as other U.S. students. Other colleges group undocumented students with international student pool when making admission decisions.

Should undocumented students self-identify in the admissions process?

In general, students can be assured that the college admissions offices will keep their status confidential during the admissions process. Therefore, students should feel comfortable about asking admissions offices questions about their status and may affect their admission chances as they research colleges, and they should be encouraged to do so. Many college applications however, ask about citizenship or require a Social Security number.

Student should answer application questions with caution. It's important to note that some undocumented students believe that they have a valid Social Security number but really do not. Therefore, you should discuss the use of Social Security numbers with undocumented students and their parents.

Will an undocumented student need a student visa to enroll?

The policy varies from college to college. Some colleges do not require all students were not citizens to have a student F1 visa, but other colleges do not. Some colleges do not require a student visa, but will ask an undocumented student to provide other information about their status. Therefore, as you and your student research colleges, it is important to ask about what they will need to do or show in order to enroll once they are admitted.

Is financial aid available for undocumented students?

At present, financial aid for undocumented students is limited. Some colleges and universities do offer a at least some financial aid and or merit scholarships. Undocumented students can also apply for some private merit scholarships. However, undocumented students are not eligible for financial aid from the federal or state governments, and the majority of the colleges do not offer institutional aid. (The California dream act allows for public higher education schools to offer state grants.)

At institutions that do offer need-based aid to undocumented students, what are the procedures for applying for it?

Each college has its own policy. Some colleges will ask students to submit a paper copy of the FAFSA, others will ask for the college boards international student financial aid form. Some other colleges have their own forms for undocumented students to use in applying for financial aid. Students should discuss the procedure for applying for aid directly with the colleges that they are applying to.

Should undocumented students fill out the FAFSA online?

Undocumented students should not fill out and submit a fast online. This is true even if they claim to have a Social Security number. Unless they are 100% certain that they have a valid Social Security number, submitting the fast for online through the government may result in their undocumented status being identified in routine documents Department of Education audits. (This question has an additional component now that we have Federal Deferred Action. Students you have completed the deferred action process are issued a number that looks like a Social Security number but cannot be used on the FAFSA. It can be used for work.)

Are undocumented students eligible for in-state tuition at public institutions?

Policies vary by state. If you are working with an undocumented student, be sure to check directly with your state system to see what their policy is, and what steps the student needs to take in order to qualify for in-state tuition. However, undocumented students to attend a public institution in a state other than where they reside and have attended college are not eligible for in-state tuition, just as a US citizen who is not a resident of that state typically can't get in state tuition.

Can undocumented students get student loans?

Some banks will consider undocumented students for private student loans. In order to qualify, however, they generally will need to have a cosigner who is an American citizen. Because the interest rates and fees associated with these loans can be very high in some cases. It is important to carefully weigh whether a private student loan is realistic.

What about private scholarships?

Many organizations offer merit scholarships. However, many of these organizations require that applicants be either US citizens or permanent legal residents. The Mexican American legal Defense and educational fund and the Latino dollars for scholar’s sites have a list of some scholarships that you not require citizenship. However, check the information for each scholarship listed at MALDEF carefully the list is a few years old, and many of the scholarships listed have changed their rules on citizenship. (Ask the financial aid office and the student support services office if there are any private scholarships for undocumented students that have been admitted to the college. These are often not published.)

What if a student is a citizen but their parents are not? Are they eligible for financial aid?

Since you were born in the US are eligible for all sources of financial aid, and should be encouraged to apply for it. They should submit the FAFSA with their Social Security number, but enter zeros in the area for parental Social Security numbers.

What else should undocumented students consider when planning their college list?

Because financial aid and merit scholarships for undocumented students are limited, it is important to have a backup plan on ---a college that the student can afford to attend even if they do not receive financial aid. This may be a local public university that they can commute to or community college they can attend inexpensively for the first two years with the goal of transferring. Additionally, it is important for undocumented students to apply to as many colleges and universities as possible that offer financial aid and/or merit scholarships. This will increase their odds of being admitted to at least one college that can offer admission and financial aid. If they cannot afford to apply to many colleges, it is even more important to contacted missions offices of those colleges where they are applying to confirm directly the financial aid and/or merits scholarships are available and what you need to do to be considered for financial aid and merit scholarships before they apply.

Which colleges have financial aid and/or merit scholarships for undocumented students?

A number of private colleges and universities currently offer at least some financial aid and/or merit scholarships to undocumented students. You will find a list of colleges that have given either need-based aid or merit scholarships to students in the past at the end of this document. However, it is important to remember that only a handful of private colleges can meet the full need of all undocumented students. Undocumented students to have earned strong grades in high school be average or better will have the best chance of receiving at least some financial aid from a private college. Undocumented students should contact the admissions and financial aid offices of any college that interest them to ask about the availability of funds or financial aid and/or merit scholarships and how to apply for them.

What other issues do I need to consider when working with an undocumented student?

It's important to the students long-term goals as they plan for college if they plan togo to graduate or professional school, they need to be aware even less financial help is available for undocumented graduate students then there is for undergraduate students. Additionally, some career choices will not be open to undocumented students. For instance, in order to get a license as a teacher, nurse, doctor, or lawyer, students will need to have legal residency status. Employment options for undocumented college graduates are also limited because most employers will require employees to have legal status. Therefore, it's important to either initiate or continue the process of applying for legal status while they are in college.

Do not assume anything. Confirm directly with each college.