Resources for Undocumented Students

• Undocumented students who are Illinois residents may be eligible for state financial aid under the Retention of Illinois Student and Equality (RISE) Act.
• Visit www.icirr.org/education-initiatives, www.maldef.org or http://latinospro.org/ for a database of private scholarships available to undocumented students living in Illinois.
• Visit www.hsf.net/scholarship for an additional scholarship available to DACA students.
• Begin looking for scholarships as early as possible. Work with your high school guidance counselor or any other school personnel that you trust.
• Contact individual groups or colleges/universities about resources that may be available. Most colleges have a community foundation and award scholarships for currently enrolled students.

• The federal government uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to compute need.
• If a student is a U.S. Citizen, but one or more parents are undocumented, the student may be eligible for federal aid. When filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the undocumented parent’s social security number must be filled out as 000-00-0000.
• If you are in the U.S. on an F1 or F2 student visa, a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa, or a G series visa, you are not eligible.
• For specific questions and answers related to state aid, please visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/eligibility/non-us-citizens.

 

• Check eligibility requirements for the scholarships you are interested in applying for.
• If the scholarship asks if you have applied for financial aid, it is best to indicate "no" followed by a general statement that you are ineligible to apply for aid.
• If an application asks for your Social Security number and you do not have one yet, leave that space blank.
• Contact the scholarship provider for application details, deadlines and clarifications.
• Provide accurate information. Providing false information or providing a false Social Security number is a federal offense.
• Scholarship scams exist. Do not pay any fees to apply for scholarships.

Professions that require state licensing or certification require background checks, a Social Security number and state examinations. If you are undocumented, it may be difficult to pursue any type of state licensing or certification. Some of the professions that require a state license or certificate are in health care, education and government. Potential friendly careers include business ownership, hotel management, restaurants, journalism, computers, manual labor, trade fields, radio and television broadcasting, administrative positions and cash-based businesses.

As an undocumented student, it is important that you know your rights and stay informed about immigration policy. Below you will find some great resources.

• The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. www.icirr.org
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center www.ilrc.org
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) www.maldef.org
• National Immigration Law Center www.nilc.org
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services www.uscis.gov

•  Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling www.iacac.org/undocumented 
  • *Highlights the universities that admit non-citizen students and the resources available to them.
• Latinos Progressando www.latinospro.org