Financial aid is not the easiest part of the college process to understand, and it can be even more difficult to navigate if citizenship status is in question. Fortunately, some states are taking measures to make higher education more accessible to everyone. We’ve identified eight states with legislation in place or coming to fruition in 2020 that supports undocumented students in their education journey. If you don’t see your state, we recommend checking out this resource to find your state and see what options you have. The state policies are listed alphabetically.
California
Application: https://dream.csac.ca.gov/
Criteria:
- AB 540 eligibility
- Either:
- Attendance in some combination of CA high school, CA adult school, or CA community college (2 years max) for 3 years or more OR
- Attainment of credits from a CA high school equivalent to three years of full enrollment and also 3 or more years of attendance in a CA elementary school, secondary school, or some combination of the two
- Graduated or will graduate from a CA high school or obtained a certificate or GED, HiSET, or TASC
- Will register or enroll in an accredited and qualifying CA college or university
- Submit a signed “non-resident exemption request” (AKA AB 540 affidavit) that certifies you meet all the other AB540 criteria and that if undocumented, you are in the process of legalizing immigraiton status
- Do not hold a valid non-immigrant visa (F, J, H, L, A, B, C, D, E, etc)**
- **If you have Temporary Protected Status or hold a U Visa, you may be eligible for the CA Dream Act
- Registration with selective services
Benefits:
- Cal Grant, Chafee Grant, Middle Class Scholarship
- UC Grants, State University Grants
- California Community College (CCC) California Promise Grant
- EOP/EOPS
- Some University scholarships
- Some private scholarships administered by campuses
- In-state tuition at any private college
Required Documents:
- Income tax returns if you or your parents have them
- Records of child support paid (if applicable)
- Current bank statements (if applicable)
- Current stock, bond, and other investment records (if applicable)
- Current business and farm records (if applicable)
- Colleges are responsible for verifying AB 540 eligibility
- U Visa holders should fill out a CA Dream Act application, V Visa holders should fill out the FAFSA
Illinois
Application: Takes effect January 1st, 2020, HB 2961
Criteria:
- Selective service requirement
- IL residence
Benefits: Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants
Required Documents:
- FAFSA turned in to institution
- Proof of residence (can be tax returns, IL driver’s license, high school transcript, etc.)
Notes:
- Takes effect January 1st, 2020
- HB 2961 makes it so undocumented residents and transgendered students who do not register for selective services can get state financial aid
Minnesota
Application: https://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=2065#instructions
Criteria:
- Attend MN high school for 3 years
- Graduated from a MN high school or earned a GED in MN
- Registered for selective services if male and 18-25 years old
- Provide documentation to show they have applied for lawful immigration status but only if a federal process exists for the student to do so (does not include applying for DACA). There is not currently a federal process in place, so this documentation is not required
Benefits:
- In state tuition at public colleges and universities
- State financial aid for students who meet state residency requirements
- Privately funded financial aid through public colleges and universities
Required Documents:
- MN high school transcripts to prove attendance (do not have to be certified
- MN high school diploma (or transcript proving graduation) or copy of MN GED (do not have to be certified)
- Copy of selective services card
- When that federal process for lawful immigration status exists, students will need documentation proving they’ve applied
Notes:
- Students with DACA don’t necessarily qualify for MN dream act
- If a student does not meet the MN Dream Act criteria, they may still get state financial aid if they meet one of the residency requirements in this link after getting DACA
New Mexico
Application: Most universities ask that applicants submit a printed out copy of the FAFSA directly to their financial aid office
Criteria:
- Attended a secondary educational institution in NM for at least a year
- Either graduated from a NM high school or obtained a GED in NM
Benefits:
- In-state tuition
- State financial aid
Required Documents: Everything required for FAFSA (Including income tax returns and W-2s)
New York
Application: Not launched yet
Criteria:
- Must have resided with parents or guardians while attending a public or private high school in NY
- Must have graduated from a public or private high school or obtained the equivalent of a high school diploma in NY
- Must have resided in NY for at least two years as of the date he or she graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma
- Must have at least one parent or guardian who immigrated to the United States
- If permanent home in NY, then also one of the following
- You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
- You attended a NYS high school for 2 or more years, graduated from a NYS high school, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school diploma OR
- You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for undergraduate study at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
- You received a NYS high school equivalency diploma, and are applying for an award for graduate study at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS high school equivalency diploma OR
- You did not attend or graduate from a NYS high school, did not receive a NYS high school equivalency diploma, but are charged the NYS resident in-State tuition rate at a SUNY or CUNY college for any reason\
- If permanent home outside NY
- U.S. Citizen
- Permanent or lawful resident
- Of a class of refugees paroled by the attorney general under his or her parole authority pertaining to the admission of aliens to the U.S.
- U-Visa or T-Visa
- Temporary protected status, pursuant to the Federal Immigration Act of 1990
- Without lawful immigration status (including those with DACA status)
Benefits:
- In-state tuition
- State financial aid eligibility
Required Documents: Individuals without lawful immigration status will be required to file an affidavit with their college stating that they filed an application to legalize their immigration status or will file such application as soon as they are eligible to do so.
Notes: When application is live, it is likely that income tax returns and W-2s or some form of income verification will be necessary
Oregon
Application: https://oregonstudentaid.gov/fafsa-orsaa.aspx
Criteria:
- Live in Oregon for at least 12 months prior to attending college
- You are not eligible to receive Oregon Opportunity Grants or Oregon Promise grants if you are an international student attending school in Oregon under one of the following visas: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, TN, TD, U, V, TROV, or NATO.
Benefits:
- Oregon Opportunity Grants
- Oregon Promise Grant (for community colleges)
- Student child care grant (students with children)
- OSAC scholarships
- In-state tuition
Required Documents:
- Most recent federal income tax returns, W-2s, other records of income
- Bank statements for checkings, savings, and other asset accounts
- Record of all investments (if applicable)
- Driver’s license (if applicable)
- Records of untaxed income (child support received, untaxed pensions, etc)
Texas
Application: http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/index.cfm?objectid=A3119543-CBF8-C202-F1B0EEFD5F4B9805
Criteria:
- For students who are Texas residents who cannot complete a FAFSA
- Graduate from a public or private high school or recieve a Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency (passed GED, HiST, or TASC test)
- They lived in Texas during the three years before graduating from high school or receiving a Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency; and
- They lived in Texas the full year before the enrollment cutoff at a Texas public college or university; and
- They sign an affidavit declaring their intention to apply for lawful permanent resident status as soon as they are able.
Benefits:
- In-state tuition
- State grants/loans
Required Documents:
- Submitted to institution’s financial aid office
- You and your parents’ tax return transcripts (for example, 2017 tax return transcripts for the 2019-2020 academic year)
- Income verification of parents (tax forms, W-2s, for example) if the student is a dependent
- Affidavit of intent: https://tasfa.net/english/texas-affidavit/ (some colleges have institutional forms)
- Selective services card (males only)
Notes: Most universities will not release financial aid without proof of selective service entry
Washington
Application: https://readysetgrad.wa.gov/WASFA
Criteria:
- Earned a high school diploma or GED in Washington (if high school diploma then must have finished full senior year in WA)
- Resided in Washington for at least three consecutive years as of the date the person received a diploma or GED
- Continually lived in Washington since receiving a diploma or GED
- Filed an affidavit verifying that he or she qualifies to pay resident tuition and will seek legal permanent residency when legally permitted to do so.
Benefits:
- Washington College Grant (FKA State Need Grant)
- In-state tuition
Required Documents: HB 1079 Affidavit