By RACHEL 

For all of you working on college applications, there is a growing list of private colleges that publicly accept undocumented students as domestic applicants! Most colleges consider undocumented students as international students*, which means that undocumented students are competing with international applicants for financial aid.* But when the college considers undocumented students as domestic students, undocumented students are more likely to get good financial aid packages. So check out this list of colleges to apply for!

More colleges than are shown on this list may consider undocumented students as domestic applicants, but do not have a public policy about this.

1) Pomona College, a small liberal arts college near Los Angeles, California

“Pomona College is interested in the best students, regardless of citizenship status. We seek to establish a diverse community of individuals who are intellectually talented, eager, and passionate. The college fully reviews undocumented and DACA-mented students who graduate from a U.S. high school for both admission and for every type of private financial aid the college offers. Pomona does not classify undocumented or DACA-mented students who graduate from a U.S. high school as international students and does not distinguish them from domestic students when reviewing their application. Financial need does not affect admission decisions for U.S. citizens or students graduating from a US high school. The college is committed to supporting and guiding undocumented and DACA-mented students through the application process and, upon their matriculation to Pomona, providing them the support they need to excel.”

Contact Information: Michelle Gonzalez, the Assistant Dean of Admissions, is the Admissions Liaison for undocumented students and is incredibly helpful and friendly. Her email is michelle.gonzalez@pomona.edu and her phone number is 909-607-3028.

For more information: “Pomona College- For Undocumented/DACA Applicants”

Application Deadline: Early Decision I: January 1^st, 2015 Regular Decision: Also January 1^st, 2015

Thanks to students at Oberlin for organizing this change!

2) Oberlin College, a small liberal arts college in Ohio

“Oberlin College considers undocumented students living in the United States as domestic candidates for admission. Students who qualify for “deferred action,” and have achieved DACA status (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), are particularly encouraged to apply.”

For more information: “Oberlin College- Undocumented Applicants”

Contact Information: Email at financial.aid@oberlin.edu or call 800-693-3173 or 440-775-8142 with any questions.

Application Deadline: Early Decision II: January 2^nd, 2015 Regular Decision: January 15^th, 2015

Thanks to Tufts’ student group Tufts United for Immigrant Justice for bringing about this change!

3) Tufts University near Boston, Massachusetts

“Tufts’ core values include a commitment to equal opportunity, inclusion, accessibility, and diversity. Therefore, Tufts welcomes all undergraduate applicants regardless of citizenship status. Undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students who apply to Tufts are treated identically to any other U.S. citizen or permanent resident in their high school.”

For more information: “Tuffs- Undocumented Students”

Application Deadline: Early Decision I: January 1^st, 2015 Regular Decision: Also January 1^st, 2015

Thanks to students at Freedom University and Emory University for organizing to bring about this change!

4) Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia

“Emory University welcomes applications of undocumented students that have been granted DACA status by the federal government. First year DACA-eligible students applying to Emory University (Emory College or Oxford College) should follow the application procedures of a domestic student.

Emory University meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted domestic students. Students who are granted DACA status by the federal government (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) are considered domestic students by Emory University and are eligible for need-based financial aid like any other U.S. citizen or permanent resident. While federal and state financial aid is not available for DACA students, Emory University provides institutional financial aid in its place.”

For more information: “Emory- Undocumented & DACA students”

Application Deadline: Early Decision II: January 1^st, 2015 Regular Decision: January 1^st, 2015
*NOTE: Here is additional helpful information regarding colleges that consider undocumented students as international students- some colleges are “need-blind” when considering international students (meaning they do not take a students’ financial need into consideration) and other colleges are “need-aware” (meaning they do take financial need into consideration.) When a college is “need-blind,” undocumented students are not competing with other international students for financial aid. Five colleges are “need-blind:” Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Amherst College, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). When a college is “need-aware,” undocumented students are competing with international students for financial aid, but some of these colleges provide scholarships and grants specifically for undocumented students. Some of these colleges include New York University (NYU), The University of Chicago, Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania, and Dominican University in Illinois.

Rachel is currently pursuing a PhD in Social Sciences and Comparative Education at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. She has worked closely with undocumented youth activists in several states, the Bhutanese refugee community and LGBT community in Oakland, California. Rachel taught in two public high schools in Okinawa, Japan for two years and has worked in the community college and higher education sector for Bunker Hill Community College, MassBay Community College, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Achieving the Dream, and Jobs for the Future. She received her Masters in Higher Education from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and her Bachelors in Philosophy from the University of Chicago.

DON’T FORGET TO SHARE THIS PAGE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

Don’t miss out on the latest resources available for undocumented students, make sure to “like” our page on Facebook. Please consider donating to our platform so we can provide more information and resources to help undocumented students and their families. Any amount helps!

At My Undocumented Life we provide up-to-date information and resources for undocumented immigrants and allies. We post scholarship opportunities that are open to undocumented students, strategies for navigating the educational system, information on how to apply for DACA/Advance Parole, news on DAPA, and much more. Most importantly, we want to provide a sense of community to our diverse group of readers. Learn more about our work here: “About Us“

Categories: Applying to College

Tags: college, College Spotlight, education, undocumented