Supporting Undocumented Students in Their School and College Life

Abstract

The United States hosts millions of refugees, asylum seekers, and people passing the borders illegally. Undocumented immigrants are individuals who either entered the U.S. unlawfully without undergoing an inspection or those who initially entered legally with valid nonimmigrant visas but remained in the country beyond the expiration of their visas. The size of the undocumented immigrant population in the United States has largely stabilized over the past decade. Recent estimates suggest that nearly one hundred thousand undocumented students graduate from high schools in the United States every year. Most of these students do not go to college, mainly because of the restrictions on the admission of undocumented immigrants or because of the lack of financial support they get compared to their peers who are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants. Unlike their U.S. citizen and authorized immigrant peers, many states do not qualify undocumented students for in-state tuition, making college costs prohibitively high for their families. For these reasons, this paper aims to shed light on the latest numbers of undocumented students and the biggest challenge they face that may limit their chance to receive adequate educational opportunities. Further, this paper summarizes the up-to-date state and federal policies that support or limit access to financial aid and student support programs. Finally, this paper proposes some actions at the college, community, state, and national levels that can help undocumented students enroll in college and seek financial aid that can help them pursue their college degrees.