Support Undocumented Students, Change the Stigma

As a College Adviser with College Advising Corps-Boston University, I work with local Boston Public School students on applying to colleges, completing financial aid, and planning post-secondary paths. Through this experience, I’ve worked with a significant amount of students who are undocumented.

It is estimated that two million K-12 students in the U.S. are undocumented (Forenza, Lardier, & Rogers, 2017). Undocumented students face many challenges and barriers in our society, especially when applying to college. Students who are undocumented or who hold DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) or TPS (Temporary Protected Status) have limited access to higher education and face numerous obstacles. For example, many will be considered “international students” when applying to college, regardless of how many years they’ve spent in the U.S. In addition, they do not qualify for federal aid and, depending on the state they live in, will not qualify for in-state tuition prices. As a result, many undocumented, DACA, or TPS students cannot financially afford college and, due to the limited support available, believe college is not something they can pursue.

With limited support from colleges and local and federal government, undocumented students report they feel like they have a lower place in society (Forenza et al., 2017). Some even use the word “deviant” to describe how they see themselves and how others might view them (Forenza et al., 2017). In order to best serve these students and help change this, we must ensure undocumented students feel safe and comfortable around the educators in their schools.

We can create this trust by having more open dialogues around this topic and talking about resources available to undocumented students. Additionally, we must reassure students the information they share about their statue will be kept private. Once students trust the educators around them, they are more likely to share their statuses (Murillo, 2017). Often times, students don’t share or are hesitant to share because they think others will see it as a negative thing (Murillo, 2017). We must work to change this stigma. With comfort and trust, counselors can create a more personalized plan to start searching for supportive colleges and scholarships. It is also important that once on campus, students locate offices, organizations, and advocates who will host discussions on these topics and demonstrate their support. A college can often shape or reshape how students come to define what it means to them to be “undocumented” and can often create a new sense of identity (Munoz & Alleman, 2016). If a student finds these support systems on campus, it might also help change the negative stigmas around being undocumented.

Therefore, it is critical that educators and colleges work to create open, supportive dialogues around being undocumented so students feel supported and empowered. Hopefully one day, policy will change to provide more support to undocumented students seeking higher education. Until then, we must do what we can to listen to our student’s stories and offer support.

#Dreamers #Undocumented #DACAmented #TPS

References

Forenza, B., Lardier, D., & Rogers, B. (2017). What facilitates and supports political activism by, and for, undocumented students? The Urban Review, 49(40),448-467. Retrieved from https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.bu.edu/article/10.1007/s11256-017-0413-1#citeas

Muñoz, A., & Alleman, N. F. (2016). Status convergence: A sociological investigation of undocumented students' legal and collegiate social statuses.Journal of College Student Development, 57(8), 990-1008. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.bu.edu/docview/1846292765?accountid=9676

Murillo, M. A. (2017). The art of the reveal: Undocumented high school students, institutional agents, and the disclosure of legal status. The High School Journal, 100(2), 88-108. Retrieved from

Photo by Fabian Fauth on Unsplash