admission, tuition, and financial aid the journey to college for the undocumented student
TRANSCRIPT
Admission, Tuition, and Financial Aid The Journey to College for the Undocumented Student
Key Questions Asked by Undocumented Students
1.Will colleges admit me?
2.How much will my tuition be?
3.Where is there financial help for me to go to college?
Admission to College
• There is no federal or state law that prohibits the admission of undocumented immigrants to U.S. colleges, public or private.
• Federal and/or state laws do not require students to prove citizenship in order to enter U.S. institutions of higher education.
• Institutional policies on admitting undocumented students vary.
Researching Colleges • How does the school
work with undocumented students? • What is the school’s
success rate with undocumented students? • Who can I talk to for
emotion and financial support?
Tuition in Washington State
Washington State House Bill 1079 allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities.
You must have: • Been a resident of WA
for at least 3 years • Attained high school
diploma or GED• Continuously resided
in Washington since graduating from high School • Signed an affidavit .
Tuition Process for Undocumented Students
Research colleges and complete application paper work
Sign and submit the affidavit with your application
Once you are identified as in-state tuition eligible, the affidavit is stored or destroyed
Evaluation of Your Application:
Colleges will evaluate your application the same way as non-1079 students!
Resident Status
Resident status for in-state college tuition does not change your citizenship or immigration status.
Financial Aid Realities
Federal Support • Undocumented
students cannot legally receive any federally funded student financial aid including loans, grants, scholarships or work study money.
State Support • Students in
Washington are not eligible for state financial aid.
Financial Aid Strategies
1. People and Organizations that can help
2. Earning College Credit in High School
3. Earning community college credit and uses the Washington State Automatic transfer to four-year colleges
4. Scholarships
5. Work
Strategy 1: People and Organizations that can help • High School
Counselors • Members of your
community
• Financial Aid Office at the college
• Washington Dream Act Coalition
http://www.wdac.info/
• Washington State Educational Access Coalition for HB 1079 Students • LEAP – Latino/a
Educational Achievement Project
http://www.leapwa.org/
Strategy 2: College Credit in High School • Career and Technical
Courses that allow for dual high school and college credit • AP courses
Strategy 3: Community Colleges Running Start Washington State’s
community and technical college system provides educational course work and degree programs which “transfer” to upper-division institutions, both public and private.
Strategy 4 : Scholarships • Make looking for
scholarships your “job” while in high school • Finaid.wsu.edu/
1079.html provides information about financial aid for undocumented students
Start here scholarship sites: • theWashboarg.org• Campanaquetzal.org
Strategy 5: Work • It is very clear that
college students who work often have higher grades than those who do not. • Financial aid offices
have long lists of jobs on campus and the community that do not require citizenship proof.
What’s the Message? • You may have to be
more creative than most students to find the money for college!
• “There is hope. It is hard but other undocumented students have made it to college and you can too!