support for undocumented students 101

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SUPPORT FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS 101 KATHARINE GIN Cofounder and Executive Director, E4FC

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BACKGROUND ON E4FC

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Our Mission

To help undocumented students achieve their academic and career goals and actively contribute to society

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Our History

§  Started by educators in 2006 §  Civil rights issue §  Refused to tell students to wait §  Transformation from an educator to

student-led organization

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Our Programs & Services

§  New American Scholars Program §  Legal Services §  Outreach Program §  Career Internships §  Creative Writing Program

Our Resources §  Scholarship Lists §  Student Guides §  Educator Guides §  Parent Guides §  Advocacy Materials §  Documentary Film §  Student Stories & Poems

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TOP 6 WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS

Illustration by Santiago Ucedo

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#1 DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS

Undocumented & Awkward: Episode 7 DreamersAdrift.com

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Undocumented students do not only:

§  Come from Mexico or Latin America §  Speak Spanish §  Have strong accents §  Take ESL classes

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What you can do to help students:

§  Identify yourself as an ally §  Make resources easily

available §  Use E4FC posters, stickers,

and bookmarks

#2 KNOW & SUPPORT RELEVANT POLICIES AND LEGISLATION

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Plyler v. Doe

§  1982 Supreme Court ruling §  K-12 education is a fundamental,

protected right §  All children living in the United States

regardless of citizenship or residency status

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FERPA

§  Family Educational and Privacy Act §  Protects privacy of student records at

educational institutions §  No risk for deportation just by

applying to or enrolling in college

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AB 540

§  Allows certain non-resident students (including undocumented students) to receive in-state tuition in CA

§  Students must complete at least 3 years of high school in CA

§  AB 540 ≠ undocumented

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CA DREAM ACT §  AB 130 & AB 131 §  Passed in 2011 §  Will allow AB 540 students

to access public and private funds to support their college educations

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AB 130 §  Private scholarships administered

through CA public colleges & universities

§  Effective January 2012 §  Contact individual financial aid offices

for school-specific awards

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AB 131

§  Institutional grants §  Board of Governors fee waivers at

CCs §  State financial aid (Cal Grants) §  Effective January 2013 (Cal Grants in

2013-2014)

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What you can do to help students:

§  Understand in-state tuition requirements §  Understand college-specific policies §  Follow CSAC (CA Student Aid Commission) §  Refer to E4FC Fact Sheet & Student Guides

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#3 FIND SCHOLARSHIPS

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What you can do to help students:

§  Identify scholarships that don’t require SSNs §  Use E4FC’s Scholarship List & Financial Aid

Guide §  Ask scholarships to consider undocumented

student applicants §  Create your own scholarship

#4 IDENTIFY ROLE MODELS

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What you can do to help students:

§  Identify older undocumented students from your school

§  Invite E4FC’s Student Outreach Team to present at your school

§  Show E4FC’s documentary film (Don’t Stop Me Now)

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#5 REFER TO LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS

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Findings from our Case Analysis Team:

§  50% of clients have never received legal help

§  Main impediments = cost, lack of information, and fear

§  37% of clients have possibility to legalize

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What you can do to help students:

§  Convince students that a legal consultation is valuable

§  Identify reputable legal service providers §  Encourage students to pursue immigration

remedies (if eligible)

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#6 INSTILL AGENCY

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What you can do to help:

§  Create a safe community §  Start a student group/club

to raise awareness §  Encourage students to §  share their stories (when

safe)

Things I’ll Never Say by Ingrid Hernandez

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Visit E4FC website to read Ingrid’s story