We Stand with Undocumented Students is a section of the CUNY (City University of New York) website. CUNY is the largest urban public university system in the U.S. and is dedicated to educating and advocating for immigrant students and families. Some material is specific to CUNY but there is also general guidance such as, Understanding your status, Resources for students, and Resources for educators and staff.
Adelante Student Voices is a statewide safe space for undocumented teens to explore their legal status and routes to college. Network members attend summer sessions and quarterly reunions.
Mentors work with students to research policy and help with college planning. Adelante also has a scholarship fund.
Finding the money
New York’s DREAM Act for Non-Citizens gives NYS students access to financial aid if they are undocumented or have a U-visa, T-visa, temporary protected status, or DACA. They also must have attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, or received a NYS high school equivalency diploma and are or will be charged resident in-state tuition rates at SUNY or CUNY. The CUNY website listed above has a section on paying for college, here. It also has two short slide programs:
- U & I Can go to College breaks down various immigration statuses and rights, how to apply for private aid, identifying colleges that may not be friendly to undocumented students, plus tips for applying to college. (27 slides)
- How to Pay For College as an Undocumented & Immigrant Student is an overview of New York State’s Dream Act and other state aid as well as privately- funded opportunities. (28 slides)
Places to look for scholarships
School counseling offices and public libraries can help students and families find scholarships but here are a few websites that may be especially helpful to immigrants. Unless otherwise noted websites are in English only.
The Higher Ed Immigration Portal, a project of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, is meant to help DACA and undocumented students, other immigrants, and international students determine which states offer financial aid and how to use the funds to pay for college. This site is heavy on policy and will be most useful to counsellors, teachers, and other adults advising students.
Immigrants Rising has a list of scholarships and fellowships that don’t require proof of U.S. citizenship. It includes eligibility requirements, such as education level, region/state, immigration status, and more.
The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund publishes an annual Scholarship Resource Guide (available in English and Spanish) for students, families, and educators. Opportunities are listed by the month applications are due.
Eligibility varies by scholarship with many available to undocumented students and/or DACA recipients. The guide is approximately 25 pages. If users don’t want to browse, they can download the booklet and use the PDF search function to help find scholarships they may be eligible for.
Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute offers scholarships for New York students and publishes a list of additional opportunities.
Scholarship America allows users to search for scholarships by state or territory. When we checked in 2024 more than 50 were available for New York State students and another 50 for students in any state. Be sure to check whether legal status is required for eligibility.
United We Dream has a list of scholarships open to undocumented students and/or DACA recipients.
Specific scholarships
La Unidad Latina Foundation’s Advancing Latino Educational Achievement offers spring and fall scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students regardless of legal status. Priority is given to first-generation college students.U.S.
Golden Door Scholarships are available to high achieving DACA, TPS, and undocumented students including recent high school graduates, students already enrolled in community or four-year colleges, and transfer students.
The Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Scholarship Programs are open to high school and college students including the undocumented and dreamers. After creating a profile, students are automatically matched with scholarships they may be eligible for.
The Chicano Organizing and Research in Education offers the Que Llueva Café Scholarship only to undocumented students in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Criteria include a compelling personal story, extra-curricular activities, and academic promise (not limited to GPA). Applications are due by the last Saturday in February for the upcoming academic year.
TheDream.US offers scholarships to “motivated and resilient” immigrant students — with or without DACA or TPS — who came to the U.S. under the age of 16 and before November 1, 2018.
The National Scholarship covers tuition and fees at 75 Partner Colleges including about 20 in New York State. GPA is considered but the emphasis is on community service and commitment to academic and career success despite barriers and challenges faced.
How to renew your DACA status
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewals can be filed online. Renewing your DACA by yourself can seem like a daunting task. The truth, but in most cases you can easily renew. Here is a how-to for those who currently have DACA, or those whose DACA expired less than a year ago. The how-to was created by United We Dream and updated in February 2024.
If your DACA expired more than a year ago your request is considered a new application and will not be granted. For additional information, United We Dream has an FAQ last updated in December 2023.