Week of August 3 to August 17
Hello everyone! Apologies for the belated Report Card; I was travelling and was unable to collect the resources until now. Below is a roundup of news, events, research, and other resources to support undocumented students in higher education. For more information or to share your links to be included for next week, please contact Mayu Takeda ([email protected]).
Please feel free to spread this to your networks and sign up for the listserv here. Visit our Tumblr to see the news clips and updates from previous weeks. Check out our updated Facebook Resources Page of both national and state-based Facebook groups working to increase access to higher education for undocumented students. This is a living document, so if you have any suggestions, please let us know! Â
Also, check out United We Dreamâs list of resources!
Action
My (Un)documented Life - Support the Education Equity Act: In-state tuition and financial aid for undocumented students in Massachusetts! (08/05/2015)
The Education Equity Act has been introduced in the state of Massachusetts, which would allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition and receive financial aid at public colleges and universities. The Student Immigrant Movement (SIM), a youth-led nonprofit in Massachusetts, is leading the effort to raise awareness and support for this bill. Â Â And they need our help! Massachusettsâ public has shown a lot of support for this bill! Â Over 150 supporters gave testimony at a hearing for the bill on July 15th, 2015 and three community college presidents have written letters in support. Only one person testified against the bill at the hearing. Â However, the stateâs Governor Charlie Baker announced on July 16th that he would veto the bill. Â There are many more people in Massachusetts who would support this bill, but donât know about it yet so letâs raise some awareness! Â To show your support, please call Governor Charlie Baker at 617-725-4005, write op-eds and post on social media, or contact the Student Immigrant Movement to learn how you can help.
 National & State News
Generation Progress - Beyond Borders: My Name Is Valentina Emilia Garcia Gonzalez (08/12/2015)
This piece is part of our Beyond Borders blog series, designed to share and amplify the stories of undocumented young people in the South. Though the state of immigration reform remains stalled across the country, some of the countryâs strictest policies regarding undocumented students are concentrated in the South. The writers are all members of Freedom University, a modern day freedom school that provides college-level courses, college application assistance, and movement leadership training to undocumented students in Georgia. The author, Valentina Emilia Garcia Gonzalez, graduated from high school in Georgia, is now a student at Freedom University, and will be attending Dartmouth College in the fall.
AAFP - Students Tackle Educational Debt, Burnout, Other Topics (08/05/2015)
Until a paradigm shift occurs in the way medical education is financed, students will continue to worry about paying for their training and then digging out from the resulting debt. Those and related concerns formed a common theme during the National Congress of Student Members held here as part of the 2015 AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students July 30-Aug. 1. Specifically, the resolution asked the Academy to advocate that undocumented medical students who are enrolled in accredited medical schools be eligible for federal loan programs. Rodriguez said he knows students in his own program who are dealing with this issue.
The White House Blog - DACAmented Teachers: Educating and Enriching Their Communities (08/04/2015)
Last month, the White House honored nine educators who received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) as âChampions of Change.â These inspiring young men and women have tackled the challenging â yet crucial â task of becoming educators in their communities to empower the next generation of leaders.
Morning Consult - Adrift in D.C., Immigration Reforms Take Hold in States (08/03/2015)
With prospects of comprehensive immigration reform in Washington stymied by partisan gridlock, state legislators across the country are taking their own steps to deal with the millions of undocumented immigrants living within their borders. [....] Other states are taking harder lines. Indiana and Texas legislators passed laws tightening requirements on employers using the E-Verify program to check worker immigration status. Texas lawmakers also passed a law requiring stakeholder meetings in communities where federal immigration officials hope to resettle refugees. And in Missouri, lawmakers barred undocumented students from receiving in-state tuition and state scholarship funds.
Arizona
Lacey & Larkin Frontera Fund - For 150 College Students, A (Uncertain) Victory (08/14/2015)
For the first time since the passage of Prop 300 in 2006, [Arizona State University] is offering in-state tuition for DACA-Dreamers, making the college experience and its lifelong opportunities more accessible to undocumented immigrants. Previously, undocumented students were charged out-of-state tuition, which costs around three times as much as in-state. Given that many Dreamers struggle to pay even the $465 DACA application fee, this policy effectively barred undocumented students from attending college.
California
University of San Francisco - Building Bridges Across Barriers: Teaching leadership to aspiring educators and administrators (08/13/2015)
Genevieve Negron-Gonzalez grew up near the United States-Mexico border in Southern California, a fact thatâs shaped her as a researcher, educator, and activist. [....] Genevieveâs interests lie at the intersection of undocumented immigrants, political activism, and higher education. In 2013, she received a Jesuit Foundation grant to support her research on undocumented community college students in Californiaâs Central Valley and the ways their lives are wrapped up in discourses about who has a right to belong.
LA Times - California gives immigrants here illegally unprecedented rights, benefits, protections (08/11/2015)
It started with in-state tuition. Then came driver's licenses, new rules designed to limit deportations and state-funded healthcare for children. And on Monday, in a gesture heavy with symbolism, came a new law to erase the word "alien" from California's labor code. Together, these piecemeal measures have taken on a significance greater than their individual parts â a fundamental shift in the relationship between California and its residents who live in the country illegally. The various benefits, rights and protections add up to something experts liken to a kind of California citizenship.
UC Irvine - Against the odds (08/11/2015)
On June 13, Peralta and his sister both defied the long odds that were stacked against them by being awarded college diplomas. Their goal now: Help others from similar circumstances. Peralta received a bachelorâs of science in chemistry from UCI, graduating with high marks, while his sister was awarded a degree from Cal State Los Angeles.
The Sacramento Bee - California leads on immigration, too (08/11/2015)
On Monday, acting on a bill by Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, Brown excised the offensive term âalienâ from the stateâs Labor Code, a symbolic but telling flourish to new rules that, taken together, offer a national blueprint for dealing with the nationâs undocumented population. We applaud him. Itâs about time.
Pomona College Magazine - American Dreamers (08/03/2015)
In interviews for this article, half a dozen immigrant students at Pomona spoke candidly about the problems theyâve encounteredânot unlike those many of their fellow students may have faced. They have struggled with difficult family issues: divorces, absent fathers, domestic violence, sibling rivalries. They have faced serious life challenges: poverty, illness, death.
Missouri
St. Louis Public Radio - After three-word budget bill change, Missouri DACA students hit with higher tuition (08/11/2015)
New language in the bill affects âDreamers,â who are covered under the federal governmentâs Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program allows undocumented individuals who came to the country as children to stay in the United States so long as they meet certain requirements. Missouriâs bill changes the state legal status of DACA students, which may restrict universities' abilities to offer them in-state tuition or scholarships.
Missourian - DAVID ROSMAN: DACA students should not be denied an affordable education (08/05/2015)
Columbia is a city of colleges and universities. We are proud to be the home of the state's flagship center for higher education. So why are students who are supposed to be "protected" under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals being targeted? Why can't the attorney general of Missouri pronounce if the tactics by those under the Gray Dome have legal standing?
Washington Post - How Missouri whacked hundreds of Dreamersâ plans to attend college this fall (8/4/2015)
With only a few words, lawmakers in Missouri have made it exponentially more difficult â if not impossible â for several hundred students to attend college this fall. As a result of a small but important change in the language of a state higher-education funding bill during the recent legislative session, some students are now facing monumental tuition hikes, KCUR reported.
New York
WYNC - These Students Have Been Accepted to College, But Will They Show Up This Fall? (08/14/2015)
Their college plans may melt away entirely by the end of summer. Up to 40 percent of low-income students who are accepted to college in the spring never make it to the first day of class in the fall. Theyâre stymied by tuition sticker shock, Kafkaesque paperwork requirements and a quiet, corrosive feeling that they donât belong. [....] One student thought he wouldnât be able to receive a grant because his mother is undocumented and works off the books, so she doesnât have a tax return. In fact, the momâs employer can sign a letter verifying her income, which can serve as proof. Sometimes college officials are not properly informed. One undocumented student reported to her coach that she needed proof of U.S. residency to register at CUNY. The coach went with her to the admissions office to clarify that only proof of New York City residency was required.
State of Politics - Cuomo Renews Minimum Wage, Labor Protections Push (08/10/2015)
The governor did not mention arguably the most hot-button issue for some New York City lawmakers: The approval of the DREAM Act, which would provide tuition assistance to undocumented students. Cuomo this year sought to tie the DREAM Act in the budget to the creation of a tax credit aimed at encouraging donations to public schools and scholarships that benefit private schools. The packaged proposal failed in the Legislature.
North Carolina
The News & Record (NC) - Letter to the Editor: âDreamersâ can work to pay college tuition (08/14/2015)
If a âdreamerâ has gone through K-12 in the North Carolina public school system, that student has already had his or her education subsidized by the taxpayers of North Carolina to the tune of approximately $125,000. That is a lot of taxpayer dollars! I would suggest that these graduating students who have already profited so greatly from the generosity of the taxpaying citizens of North Carolina be grateful for the education they have received. I would humbly suggest they use those skills to do what I did while attending college â get a job while going to school to make up the $10,000-per-year difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.
Chapelboro (NC) - Chancellor Folt Takes Hard-Hitting Questions (08/04/2015)
While UNCâs in-state tuition keeps college within reach for many North Carolina students, the schoolâs out-of-state tuition is more than $33,000. That is also the rate undocumented students have to pay to attend UNC, even if theyâve lived in the state most of their lives. National Press Club Vice President Thomas Burr moderated the event. He asked Folt what public universities can do to help undocumented students who struggle to pay high out-of-state rates. âWe are not one of the states that forgives out-of-state tuition for undocumented students,â Folt said. âSo in that populationâŠwe use philanthropy to help students get and be able to cover out-of-state rates. But itâs a huge disadvantage. What we have to do right now is continue to find resources that can be used in the areas of most critical needâŠIf you can forgive itâŠat the state level, it would really help.â
See video clip of Folt here.
Oregon
The Oregnonian - Trail Blazers, pot and tuition equity: This week in new Oregon laws (08/15/2015)
Financial aid: Senate Bill 932, signed Aug. 12, expands eligibility for state college-tuition grants to qualifying low-income undocumented students who were brought to the United States as children.
Tennessee
Memphis Business Journal - White House, CBU tackling issues of undocumented students, economic development (08/03/2015)
After Christian Brothers University announced its $12 million commitment to educate undocumented students July 28, a group of business leaders, policy makers and stakeholders gathered for a discussion with White House delegates.
2016 Presidential Election
UWD - Democratic Candidates Must Include Undocumented Students in their Higher Education Plans (week of 8/10/2015)
This week, Hillary Clinton unveiled her college affordability plan. Like the two other declared Democratic presidential candidates, Clintonâs plan makes many important changes but continues the current policy of leaving undocumented students out of federal higher education programs. Support for undocumented youth should be reflected in more than an immigration platform, it is a value which must be interwoven in all aspects of a candidateâs campaign.
School & Financial Resources
College Access Plan - Scholarships (Updated 08/07/2015)
Here you will find a list of scholarships to get you started on your search. We have tried to specifically focus on local and regional scholarships, but we have included some popular national opportunities, as well.
Connecticut Students for a Dream - C4D Scholarship (due 10/17/2015)
Connecticut Students for a Dream (C4D) was founded in 2010 by a group of undocumented students and allies from across Connecticut. Initially coming together to advocate for the Federal DREAM Act, to this day we continue our work for educational equity. This scholarship was created to help undocumented immigrant students that are pursuing higher education but have limited financial help due to their immigration status.
Educational Opportunities for Utahâs Children - Resources (Updated 08/09/2015)
Resources regarding colleges, scholarships, DACA, etc.
La Unidad Latina Foundation- La Unidad Latina Foundation Scholarships (Deadline: 9/1/2015 - 10/15/2015)
This scholarship is for Hispanic students who are currently enrolled in an eligible bachelor's or master's degree program at an accredited four-year college or university. Eligible degrees include all bachelor's degrees, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Public Administration/Policy, Master of Social Work, Master of Education, and Master of Divinity. Undergraduate students must have completed at least one full-time year of study and have a cumulative GPA between 2.8 and 3.6, and graduate students must have completed at least one full-time semester.
My (Un)documented Life - American Political Science Association-Minority Student Recruitment Program (08/10/2015)
If you are an undergraduate student who is interested in pursuing a PhD in political science, definitely check out the opportunity to enroll in the American Political Science Association (APSA)âs Minority Student Recruitment Program (MSRP) database. This database will help political science departments in their efforts to reach and recruit students from under-represented backgrounds.
The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans - 2016 Scholarship (Deadline 11/1/2015)
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contribution of immigrants to the United States. Every year, we invest in the graduate education of 30 New Americans - immigrants and children of immigrants - who are poised to make significant contributions to US society, culture, or their academic fields.
Point Foundation - Point Foundation Scholarship Program (11/1/2015)
This scholarship is for students who are involved in the LGBTQ community (students do not need to self-identify with the LGBTQ community to qualify). To qualify for this scholarship, applicants must demonstrate very strong academic performance, proven leadership skills, and desire to make a difference in the world. Scholarships are awarded based on marginalization, financial need, academic achievement, personal merit, leadership, involvement in the LGBTQ community, professional experiences, and personal and future goals. The program is open to all college students regardless of citizenship, but recipients must attend accredited institutions within the United States.
Scholarships A-Z - Scholarship List
We believe everyone deserves the right to attain a higher education, regardless of his/her immigration status. We envision a society where students receive mentorship, educational, and financial resources needed to successfully pursue a degree that aligns with his/her abilities and career aspirations. We organize outreach activities and provide scholarships, resources, and advising that empowers community leaders and families to reform laws that block access to educational opportunities.
UC San Diego - Chicano-Latino Guide: Financial Support Resources (Updated 08/07/2015)
Take advantage of these resources to make the most of the available opportunities for financial aid and assistance!
USHLI - Hispanic Scholarship Guide
USHLI is a Chicago-based national, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization, and a member of the Board of Directors of HACR, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, and NHLA, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda.
Reports and Products
My (Un)documented Life - New book on undocumented youth: âUndocumented Latino Youth: Navigating Their Worldsâ (8/14/2015)
From Carolina Valdivia: In 2009, I had the amazing opportunity to join Professor Marisol Clark-Ibañezâs research project on undocumented immigrants in the educational pipeline.  Together with Professor Ibañez and fellow research team members, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews with undocumented students, from elementary school through post-graduation at the university level.  We also wrote this book, which is now available for purchase!
Migration Policy Institute - DACA at the Three-Year Mark: High Pace of Renewals, But Processing Difficulties Evident (August 2015)
The brief finds that even as most DACA participants are applying to renew their benefits as their initial grant nears its end date, the process has been hampered by processing delays within USCIS, confusion over the renewals process, lack of outreach and information, and difficulties for some affording the $465 application fee. The brief examines the status of DACA renewal applications and adjudications, the consequences of failing to renew on time, and issues affecting renewal rates.
Read the summary by My (Un)documented Life here.
Entertainment
The Nerds of Color - Spare Parts: An Emotional Roller Coaster at the Theme Park of Broken Immigration Policy (08/04/2015)
The number of PG or PG-13 films that really move or inspire me is not that large. Somewhere at the top of that list is Finding Neverland. Itâs tough to remember exactly what was going on with me at the time, but I remember it hit me hard. There is now a new contender: Spare Parts. The movie is based on this Wired article about four undocumented high school students from Arizona with a shoestring budget that enter and win a national robotics competition. Oh, and they end up at the college level knocking off the likes of MIT students.
Upcoming Events
UNC Charlotte - NC Activist Series: "Undocumented & Unafraid" Film Screening (10/27/2015, 7PM)
The NC Activist Series will be an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to hear from and meet statewide and local activists who are working on various projects related to social justice. In October we will be hosting a film screening for "Undocumented & Unafraid" which focuses on the life of an undocumented Queer activist working for reform across intersections of identity. Participants will have the opportunity to meet the film's subject Moises Serrano and the filmmaker during a Q&A followed by a reception.
