“Undocumented” Students: What the Georgia College Advising Corp needs to know Paula Mellom, Ph.D. (706) Center for Latino Achievement & Success in Education (CLASE)

What are you already doing or think should be done? What things are already in place or planned for helping undocumented students? As College Advising Corp, what are the challenges particular to interactions with undocumented students? How can we do to facilitate undocumented students’ success in K-12 and prepare them for college?

What does it mean to be Undocumented ? An undocumented student is a foreign national who: 1. entered the United States without inspection or with fraudulent documents; or 2. entered legally as a nonimmigrant but then violated the terms of his or her status and remained in the United States without authorization Source: National Immigration Law Center

Region of Origin of Undocumented Immigrant Population January 2011 and 2000

Undocumented Immigrants by State 2011 Source: US Department of Homeland Security Georgia’s undocumented population is 4% of the total in the US If we can assume that 12% of the population is under 18 there are approximately 52,800 undocumented children in the state

Fastest Growing “New Immigrant” Destinations

Where Undocumented Dominate Foreign-Born Source: Jeffrey Passel Pew Hispanic Center

Who are Undocumented Students? Most college-bound undocumented students: have lived in the United States most of their lives, have been brought to the United States by their parents at a young age have learned English have attended elementary, middle, and high school in the United States have excelled academically in high school and want to pursue a college education currently lack a way to become legal residents or citizens in the United States It is estimated that 65,000 Undocumented students who have lived in the United States for five or more years graduate from high school each year Only 7,000 – 13,000 Undocumented students enrolled in college throughout the US source: e4fc.org

What Challenges Face Undocumented Students Emotional: Many students live in constant fear that they will be separated from their families Talking about legal status is like “coming out” Social: Many students do not know their status until they are in their teens and want to get a drivers license… Legal: Status issues are extremely complex Many students live in “mixed status” families who are in various stages to legalize their status Financial No Federal (or often State) Aid - including grants, work study jobs, or loan programs.

Private Colleges and Universities Undocumented students “counted” as international students financial situation considered in the admissions process Limited funding + limited slots + high competition = thousands of qualified and competitive undocumented students are denied admission to private colleges every year.

“DREAM Act” and “Nightmare” States Thirteen states allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition at the public colleges and universities: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Washington, and Wisconsin In addition to allowing students to qualify for in-state tuition, California, Illinois, New Mexico, and Texas provide undocumented students access to financial aid. Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Indiana have banned undocumented students from receiving in-state tuition. South Carolina was the first state to ban undocumented students outright from attending public colleges and universities, followed by Alabama Georgia – undocumented students are banned from top USG schools: Georgia Tech, UGA, Georgia State, GA College and State University and Medical College of Georgia All must declare legal status on application and pay out-of-state tuition At technical colleges pay as international students 4x in-state tuition

Instate Tuition and States State prohibits in-state tuition to undocumented students State allows in-state tuition to undocumented students

Law and Policy Affecting Undocumented Students: Federal and State Law Plyer vs. Doe , Supreme Court ruling grants all children living in the US K-12 education as a fundamental and protected right regardless of citizenship or residency status. Family Educational and Privacy Act (FERPA) – federal law protects the privacy of student records at educational institutions, including elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities. Georgia Senate Bill 458: would ban undocumented student from attending public institutions Georgia House Bill 85: “Show me your papers” law impacts undocumented students and their families

Undocumented or DACA-mented? Approximately 1.8 million immigrants in the US are or could become eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) which offers a two-year, renewable reprieve from deportation to unauthorized immigrants who: Were brought to this country as children Are under the age of 31; Entered the United States before age 16; Have lived continuously in the country for at least five years; Have not been convicted of a felony, a “significant” misdemeanor, or three other misdemeanors; and are currently in school, graduated from high school, earned a GED, or served in the military. Impact: Students DO NOT get lawful status, but DO GET: “lawful presence,” a Social Security Card, 2-year renewable Work Permit, Drivers License (in GA)

DREAM Act Under the 2009 version of the Senate bill DREAM Act beneficiaries must: Have proof of having arrived in the United States before age 16. Have proof of residence in the United States for at least five consecutive years since their date of arrival. If male, have registered with the Selective Service. Be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of bill enactment. Have graduated from an American high school, obtained a GED, or been admitted to an institution of higher education. Be of good moral character.

So What Can I Do? Create a safe place for students to talk and be open to listening Inform yourself about the laws and policies impacting undocumented Provide information without asking about status Provide access and guidance to colleges and scholarships Provide contacts to colleges that are open to accepting undocumented students Create “bridges” between students and mentors at colleges/universities Be mindful of your and others’ use of language

Resources National Immigration Law Center Pew Hispanic Center Public Policy Institute of California United We Dream Urban Institute College Board with tips for advising undocumented students: aid/undocumented-students aid/undocumented-students NCLR’s site with links to resources for undocumented high school students: Minnesota Office of Higher Ed’s site with links and lists for undocumented students: ScholarshipsUndocumented.pdfhttp:// ScholarshipsUndocumented.pdf

Scholarships Paying for College: Student Resource Guide master.pdf : Produced by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard's District Office, this comprehensive, 50-page list includes scholarships available to both US and non-US citizens. Scholarships are categorized by deadline, and indicate whether citizenship is a requirement or not Paying for College: Student Resource Guidehttp:// master.pdf DreamACTivist website run by and for undocumented students: scholarship list at created by students, has a downloadable scholarship list, information about DACA plus a guide for parents, for students, and for educators; some is Arizona-specific. The list is at pdf pdf

More Scholarships DreamACTivist website run by and for undocumented students: scholarship list at Scholarships AZ, also created by students, has a downloadable scholarships list, information about DACA plus a guide for parents, for students, and for educators; some is Arizona-specific. MALDEF scholarship list categorized by major, school, gender, and location: de.pdf de.pdf

Georgia Specific Scholarships Georgia Southern University Gainesville State College Goizueta Foundation Scholarshiphttp:// etaFoundationScholarsFundAward.aspxhttp:// etaFoundationScholarsFundAward.aspx Hispanic Scholarship Fund Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College CAMP/HEP program scholarship listing Armstrong Atlantic goizueta_scholarship goizueta_scholarship Oglethorpe University _scholarships.asp _scholarships.asp Agnes Scott scholarships.aspx scholarships.aspx

Thank you! For more information please feel free to contact me: Paula J. Mellom, Ph.D. CLASE