A Consolidated Listing of Scholarships and Resources Available to Undocumented Students and Their Counselors
www.scholarshipsaz.org
Including listings from Scholarships A-Z, the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)
INTRODUCTION
Approximately 1.6 million undocumented students under the age of 18 are currently living in the United States, 65,000 of whom will graduate each year from high school (Passal, 2003). Access to higher education is an issue that continues to plague students, parents, high school counselors and college admission officers. Unfortunately, confusion exists not only with regard to whether colleges may admit undocumented students but also what type of financial aid, if any, can be offered. As a result, high school counselors are often unsure how to best guide undocumented students because many are unaware of the options available. It is uncertain how many undocumented students attend college after high school. Of those who have lived in the U.S. for at least 5 years the figure is estimated to be 5 to 10 percent (National Immigration Law Center, 2009).
No federal or state law prohibits colleges and universities from offering admission to undocumented students. However, undocumented students are not eligible to receive federal or state aid. Undocumented students may be eligible to receive privately funded merit scholarships or grant aid. Illinois is one of 10 states with an in-state tuition bill Public Act 93-0007 also referred to as House Bill 60, which was signed into law in 2003. This bill permits undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates at all public colleges and universities provided they meet the following requirements:
(1) The individual resided with his or her parent or guardian while attending a public or private high school in Illinois.
(2) The individual graduated from a public or private high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in Illinois.
(3) The individual attended school in Illinois for at least 3 years as of the date the individual graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma.
(4) In the case of an individual who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, the individual provides the University with an affidavit stating that the individual will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States at earliest opportunity the individual is eligible to do so (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=093-0007). (From a College Advising Guide for Undocumented Students by the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling)
TO THE USERS OF THIS REFERENCE:
Please consider this a work in progress. It’ll be most useful to you and others if, after perusing and/or using it, you’ll take a moment to make editorial suggestions: information that needs updating; additional information you think would be useful to include; and, my nemesis, formatting: if anyone would care to do a more professional-looking job in this area, be my guest – I’m just thankful to have gotten this far! Please note that the due dates ARE NOT current.
