My friend is an undocumented citizen in California, and they do not qualify for the AB-540 to receive a in-state tuition or the Dream Act scholarship opportunities, but does qualify for a legal work permit with a SSN.
Does anyone know of scholarship opportunities for undocumented citizens that are not AB-540? Meaning they did not attend High School for a minimum of 3 years in the US.
Student is:
Asian / Pacific Islander decent
Studying Business Administration
Your friend’s best shot is the Ivy League route in this case. If they are undocumented, then they are considered an international student in that regard which they may be able to get whatever scholarships are offered to international students, which there are few.
You could also search for local scholarships in the area since those might not necessarily require a SSN.
Well, someone can be a citizen of California (live there, work there, attend school) and not be a US Citizen (with a capital C). Resident would probably be a better word choice.
A citizen is a legally recognized resident. I don’t see how an undocumented person can be considered a citizen of CA if s/he isn’t legally recognized by the US gov’t.
I think the OP just chose a poor word to describe his “friend”. Like I said…info straight from the friend would be a lot more efficient than trying to do this with the OP as the middle man.
He is an undocumented citizen, considered as an international student to the university. Even though he has been living in CA for the last 10 years and paying State and Federal Taxes, because he does not have US Citizenship the University considers him an out-of-state student. Under the Dream Act he was awarded a provisional legal status and allow employment. However it does not provide residency in any state in the US. Therefore he is not a CA resident.
He is not currently in HS.
He can not return to his native country.
He did not qualify for AB-540.
I was able to find a FEW scholarship opportunities that did not require you to be a US Citizen, have an SSN, or AB-540.
Please let me know if you guys know of any scholarship opportunities that might be beneficial, or a website I could keep an eye on.
The U.S. Dream Act has never passed Congress. Obama’s executive order created Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); that sounds like what the friend has qualified for. I work with this population in another state. Funding is quite difficult to come by. One resource in CA for DACA students is thedream.us. That fund works with some community colleges and CSUs. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation offers scholarships regardless of legal status, but it may only work with current high school students.
Thank you for the tip AllisonMP! Jack Kent Cooke Foundation looks like something that might work! Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated. Even if you guys aren’t sure, just give me the name of the scholarship or the foundation and I’ll dig deeper.
@zyclone7 is there any reason why your friend can’t open his own account here…and ask his own questions? It would be a lot more efficient than using a middle man. Questions could be posed directly, and he could give answers directly.
Hi @thumper1. My friend has basically given up hope due to the daunting price tag and because they do not qualify for basically every scholarship they come across. I have taken upon my self to do more research and help them find the right resources. If you know of any scholarships for international students studying in the USA, I would greatly appreciate the information.
What questions do you have? I will get the answers for you.
@AllisonMP after my previous post I read the FAQ and it seems that fund is only for High School Students. My friend obtained a GED and is currently enrolled in a local community college.
He should go and talk to the transfer advisor at the community college. That person might know about four year schools that might be affordable if this student is able and willing to commute.
Your friend will be a transfer student which makes it even harder to get scholarships, many of which are for entering freshmen.
He is an international student, who is a transfer. And if undocumented, can’t work.
@thumper1 he is paying out of pocket for Community Collage right now. Working 2 jobs. All of the state and private schools in San Diego area view him as an international student, making him pay out of state fees. It’s absurd… Community college should not be $5000 for 5 classes…
@maaz97 he is an illegal alien, an international student in the eyes of any school. Sorry for the confusion.