As you know, the college admissions process can be very stressful for low-income, first-generation students, especially if they are undocumented and we want to make things a little easier. Tina Meetran, a CV alum and current College Access Advisor is creating an undocumented student guide where she will be compiling the must-know knowledge of the process and making it accessible to everyone in a clear and concise way! Find out more about the guide and process below.
Why did you think it was important to make this guide?
I think it’s important to make this guide because for students that are undocumented and DACAmented, the college application process includes different forms, steps and requirements than for students that are US citizens. It is important that all educators, advisors, counselors and mentors are aware of these differences because these steps and requirements are crucial to the student’s application and if not followed correctly, it can be detrimental to the student’s access to college. There are already so many factors that make higher education close to inaccessible for undocumented students, so it’s important that as college advisors and educators, we know as much accurate information as possible to benefit the students. Unfortunately, because immigration is a constantly changing field in the U.S., it is difficult to find a resource that puts all this important information together. So often times, educators are misinformed or not informed about access to higher education for undocumented students. So my hope is that with this guide, those assisting undocumented students with their college application process will feel more comfortable and knowledgeable to support those students.
How is the process going so far?
The process has been difficult because there are a lot of different factors that come into play when understanding access to higher education for undocumented students and how to navigate through it. This includes application requirements, different immigration statuses, immigration forms, defining residency, scholarship availability, and more. It’s been tough to decide what information to include in this guide, while still making it accessible and understandable for all to use. There’s a lot of immigration background that is important in order to give context to students’ circumstances, but I don’t want to overwhelm people with all that information.
Who will it be available to?
It will be available to everyone! Teachers, guidance counselors, advisors, mentors, those working in college access organizations, students and more. The guide will be available to everyone to use and understand.
Stay tuned for more about the Undocumented Student Guide and thank you for all your support!
