<p>Hello, I'm fairly new to this site, but I really need some advice. I'm an undocumented student who cannot attend four of the top public universities in my state (Georgia), and the private universities I'm currently looking at (Emory and Mercer, to name a few) are just too expensive. They also require financial certification for international students, and coming from a low-income family, I do not know how I am supposed to show that I can afford tuitions of $30k+. Is there any hope? What should I do? Should I go to a community college and transfer after two years? Also, I will have to commute to college, so it will have to be fairly close to home and in the Atlanta area. Any suggestions/advice?
I also know that community colleges are sometimes frowned upon, but do I really have another choice? (My current GPA is 3.95, and I have average ECs (honor societies). My SAT score is 2090 and ACT is 32. I have taken/am currently taking thirteen AP courses)</p>
<p>Do a search here on ‘undocumented students’ and then go have a conversation with the folks in admissions at your CC. You are not the first undocumented student they have come across and they can probably provide advice. Unfortunately, you do not reside in one of the states that provides in-state tuition to undocumented students who can demonstrate residency.</p>
<p>Are you a junior or a senior?</p>
<p>Do you have to commute? If so, why?</p>
<p>Your grades are excellent and your test scores are very good. There are scholarships out there for international students, and there are a fair number of private colleges and universities that treat undocumented students educated here differently from true internationals. </p>
<p>Go to the Financial Aid Forum, and read through all of the threads on guaranteed merit-based aid. You qualify for serious money. If you are a senior, you may have missed the cut-off for this year, but if you can take a gap year (no college classes at all), you can apply as a freshman for 2014. There also are several threads in that forum on finding aid for undocumented students. Keep scrolling down until you hit them.</p>
<p>As for good money for international students, go to the International Students Forum and read everything that b@r!um has written on that topic. She has excellent ideas about identifying colleges and universities that have good aid for internationals.</p>
<p>Your own high school guidance counselor and AP class advisors should also be able to help you out. They have ideas about where students with grades and exam scores like yours should be able to be admitted. Tell one of them who you trust about your situation, and get their help with this. Community college can be a great option, but you would have to position yourself for a ginormous transfer scholarship after two years there. It is easier to get big money right out of high school.</p>
<p>Many colleges and universities that have religious affiliations have strong social justice committments and are more than willing to admit students like you. Here are two lists to start with:
[Association</a> of Jesuit Colleges and Universities](<a href=“http://www.ajcunet.edu/]Association”>http://www.ajcunet.edu/)
[Quaker-originated</a> Colleges and Universities](<a href=“http://www.quaker.org/colleges.html]Quaker-originated”>Quaker-originated Colleges and Universities)</p>
<p>Colleges and universities in the US often receive applications from undocumented students. If you truly are interested in Emory and Mercer, contact the admissions and financial aid offices, and find out what you need to do to accurately represent your family’s income situation. They will be able to tell you which financial aid paperwork you need to get to them.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice @M’s Mom. I will contact them as soon as possible.
And another thank you to @happymomof1! Your thoughtful response has given me hope. I am currently a senior and will have to commute because I cannot afford to reside in the residence halls, and my mom happens to be a strict Asian parent who would not let me leave regardless of the cost. Once again, I will be contacting the admissions office soon. Thank you both once again!</p>
<p>jenna9995 -</p>
<p>If you get a big enough scholarship, it will cover the residence halls. Truly, your profile is good enough to get you in at some places where everything would be covered. If you are admitted at such a place, perhaps your mother will be willing to let you go. To be honest, your best chance of acquiring a different immigration status is by pursuing the best education that is affordable for you - even if it means leaving home for that. Your mom surely doesn’t want you to be in legal limbo forever.</p>
<p>I’m guessing by your username that you are a girl. Give the places on this list a look too: [The</a> Women’s College Coalition](<a href=“http://womenscolleges.org/]The”>http://womenscolleges.org/) Two are in the Atlanta area and might be close enough for your mom to approve of.</p>
<p>Thank you for the kind and helpful words. I relayed the information you have provided to my mom, and we will both be visiting one of the women’s college mentioned–Agnes Scott–shortly in order to discuss our current situation with an admission counselor.</p>
<p>Many colleges will not care or ask about undocumented status when it comes to merit awards. You cannot get government funds because FAFSA requires that you are legal. Also take a look at a thread by Momfromtexas, and use her methodology in looking for full ride awards. You will have the additonal issue of being undocumented, but her search methods are golden for coming up with possibilities.</p>