<p>Even if DACA goes through, this will not enable this student to apply for federally funded need based aid. </p>
<p>See post 20! This was stated in that post.</p>
<p>
Yes, however
See <a href=“https://studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility/non-us-citizens”>https://studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility/non-us-citizens</a></p>
<p>That would maybe help this student, if Pennsylvania has any state funded aid, or the schools do!</p>
<p>OP, are there any Penn State regional campuses to which you can commute from your home?</p>
<p>This looks like good place for PA DACA help. <a href=“http://hiaspa.org/services/daca/eligibility”>http://hiaspa.org/services/daca/eligibility</a></p>
<p>Even the branch campuses of Penn State are expensive, only a few thousand dollars less per year than main campus. Community college may be the best affordable option for this student, if one is within commuting distance. Most community colleges have transfer agreements with 4-year schools offering engineering, and there are some scholarships available for top community college graduates. </p>
<p>There are also the smaller public schools of PA such as West Chester, Slippery Rock, Clarion, etc. Perhaps some of them offer merit money, perhaps one is close enough for OP to commute. There also may be some local schools that would offer some good merit money.</p>
<p>My one son with test scores far lower than OP’s, was offered a full tuition remission from a local catholic school. They have limited housing so he would have likely commuted which would have cost less than communtiy college, and a much easier, less expensive commute as well. A part time job and he could have done very well financially going there. A lot of his peers and classmates from well to do families that got the same offer took the school up on it and are doing just fine.</p>
<p>OP, also look at Manhattan College in NY. They offer engineering, have good merit awards and you have a good chance of getting something there. But truly, look for some local schools. Most colleges (I do’nt know how the PA state schools are) do not care about whether a student, the parents are illegal immigrants in terms of merit money, admissions. Where it is a problem is with federal funds and sometimes state funds and getting in state rates. Your counselor should explain the situation to the admissions offices. </p>
<p>Telling him to apply to DACA is not intended to help him get aid!</p>
<p>It is for him to not make a mistake about leaving the country and then find out he can’t come back!</p>
<p>The situation seems unique enough that he can at least call the people at the link provided:
<a href=“Get Help Now - HIAS Pennsylvania”>http://hiaspa.org/services/legal-services/eligibility-requirements</a></p>
<p>^Unfortunately, none of the PASSHE schools have engineering. Several have ABET-accredited Computer Science programs, and 1 or 2 have Electrical Engineering Technology, but none have standard engineering majors.</p>
<p>The ancillary campuses of Pitt have scholarships that are less competitive than the main one and at least one, offers engineering. Getting merit money from Pitt is extremely competitive. </p>
<p>^The only ABET-accredited majors at a branch campus of Pitt are at Upitt Johnstown and are engineering technology programs. Unfortunately, the only “public” universities in PA offering engineering (not engineering tech) programs are the main campuses of Penn State, Pitt, and Temple, and PSU branch campuses in Harrisburg and Erie. Private universities may be able to provide more aid, but without federal and state grants (PA state grants require FAFSA completion), it may be difficult to come close to meeting need.</p>
<p>I know a young man who got a very nice scholarship, full tuition and some for UPITT Johnstown. His course of study was for some sort of engineering program. Perhaps it was an engineering technology program. After his freshman year, he got additional funding as an engineering major, and he did graduate with an engineering degree, from Pitt. He may have transferred to main campus after a point in time.</p>
<p>THe fact of the matter is that it’s A LOT easier to get money from the ancilarly campus of UPITT than the main one where a 31 ACT is just not going to cut it for major awards. I agree that getting need met is going to be very difficullt through financial aid, particularly from state schools since they do require FAFSA… A goodly part of their fin aid packages are comprised of funds that require a FAFSA. OP needs to find a merit award that does not require FAFSA and is of a size sufficient to cover most of the cost. If the school is within commuting distance, that could bring down the cost. I have no idea what schools are within commutable distance.</p>
<p>THough more difficult, one can transfer into engineer programs from schools that do not have them. As I said, I know one young man who I believe did that as he did start out at UPITT Johnstown. I believe he was accepted to the main campus of PITT as well but did not get merit money from there and he had need and went with the money. Somehow he became an engineer so starting. </p>
<p>I lived and grew up in the United States for 9 years… Isn’t there something that I can do to get some benefits? Because aren’t international students usually students who apply from out of the country? I speak english more fluently than my native one. I know more about U.S history than my native one. I consider myself American than anythign else because i grew up and matured here… This sucks haha.</p>
<p>Are you here legally? Resident with right to work? If not, look into the Dream act (which is a misnomer as it is not an Act, just a presidential order). It won’t give money, just the right to go to school, work, have a driver’s license. Some states are more generous with undocumented students than others, but some states are more generous will tuition and aid to their residence than others too. We lived in Colorado for most of my kids’ lives, then in California, but neither state recognizes them as residents for tuition purposes. Sucks for them too.</p>
<p>If you have been here for nine years, with the intent to stay why haven’t you applied for permanent resident status?</p>
<p>Does UPitt give merit to int’ls? Anyone know?</p>
<p>@katsuii </p>
<p>You may end having to take a gap year while all of this plays out. Even if DACA works out, that won’t provide you aid. </p>
<p>I’m sorry that you’re in this situation. Sadly, parents don’t consider these issues when they decide to be here illegally…and the kids can suffer. </p>
<p>BTW…most int’s who do come here for their education do not get aid. Most pay the costs themselves. </p>
<p>You lived and grew up in the United States for 9 years. Those are your benefits. If you and your parents are here illegally, you do understand that all of you can be deported? As I said earlier, most colleges won’t care about your illegal status but getting federal money is a whole other story. Your state does not have provisions to get in state tuition rates if you are not a citizen or permanent resident and your parents are not state residents. No, you are not allowed to vote, get a social security number , and get federal aid if you do not meet certain requirements. Finding a job is likely to be a problem too. Understand, you are here ILLEGALLY. </p>
<p>International students who are not citizens or meet certain stipulations, are not permitted to get Federal aid either. THey can’t even enter the country until they fill out an immigration form, get all kind of paperwork together, and show with certification that they can pay for their way here. They need to get a student visa. YOu likely will not. </p>
<p>You can call finanical aid offices and ask if they will take applications from illegal immigrants and how they handle them. The same with merit awards, though if they are open to international students, which many are, they will likely be open to you too. But, yes, certain doors will be closed to you. </p>
<p>There are thousands upon thousands of internationals trying to get into this country legally for many years awaiting their turn. YOu are in, but you did not take legal channels. So, yes, there are some consequences for this. However, there have been some acts like DRACA that mitigate some of them. You need to find out what’s out there and your best options. This is not the forum to advise you on this. A consult with an immigration attorney, a talk with some college admissions people and fin aid offices might give you some ideas in that matter. You aren’t the only one in this predicament, and colleges tend to stay out of the legal issues, but they cannot get around government rules that require forms that are not available to you. You cannot get federal money and in many states, state money.</p>
<p>Though frankly, with a family income of $72K, you ikely do not qualify for PELL and the only other guarantee is your $5500 Direct loan. It’s not as though most schools meet need anyways. You are at that bracket where you may be required to pay for a state school even if you were a citizen. RUn the numbers and see. I believe my cousin’s income is right about there, and Pitt and PSU didn’t give them much at all. just the loans. Their son ended up at a private school that his costing them less than the publics because they gave generous aid. Some of such school, if your stats re among the highest, might come up with their own money for you. They can do what they please with that,and they don’t tend to care about legal or illegal status;; it just means you can’t get federal funds (and some state). If you are worth it to them, they’ll come up with the money themselves. </p>
<p>That’s why I’m telling you to look at PITT Johnstown. You might look good to them with those numbers and they may want to “buy” them and come up with their money to do so. Pitt main campus isn’t likely to do so. You are a dime a dozen there. A 31 is not going to do it for their big fat awards, like the CHancellor’s which if you had great stats and go through the scholarship process, you could get, likely even with your illegal status. That isn’t what’s keeping your from the big money. It’s your test scores and grades.</p>
<p>okay. what does it mean to be here illegally? can someone explain this to me?</p>
<p>@thumper1 my mom claims that she tried to but couldn’t get any support and failed… I’m not sure if I believe her or not… she had 9 years.</p>
<p>@cptofthehouse </p>
<p>“YOU are in, but you did not take legal channels.”</p>
<p>It was Katsuii’s parents who did not take legal channels. Katsuii was 8 or 9 years old at the time. And why are you shouting at him? </p>
<p>You need to ask your parents if you are here illegally and if they know if something can be done to get legal documentation for you. Also, a consultation with an attorney well versed in immigration would be of great value for you. Many attorneys do not charge for an initial consultation. There are many, many ways, a person can end up being here without having their documentation in shape. Again, this is not the forum to address this sort of thing.</p>
<p>Picapole, I’m not shouting at him. I accidently held the capital key a bit too long so that the “O” in you was capitalized. The “Y” is supposed to be capital as the first letter of the sentence. </p>
<p>Also, for all any of us know, Katsui’s parents could have taken legal channels, so neither of us are technically correct. We have no idea why he is undocumented. He and his family could have come here through perfectly legal channels and then simply not taken the next steps to keep legal status. I’ve made it clear, this is not a situation that I consider myself able to handle. I can only give him some advice regarding college options and what he can do to possibly get some money for school, and where he cannot. I live in an area where there are a lot of families including children, many who do reach college age, who are in this country illegally. Many came here legally and just did not leave when they should have; in fact, that is the case for most of the illegal immigrants that I know. And though their children had no say in what their parents did or didn’t do, the end result is that they, like the OP, are in this country illegally, even though they’ve lived here as though they were here legally and speak the language and go through most all of the similar experiences as their peers who are here legally. It’s as they approach adulthood, the problems crop up. Applying for jobs and opportunities are often an issue. They can’t get a legal social security number, get certain jobs, in some states no drivers license, can’t get certain benefits because 1) they are not citizens or permanent residents or in other such category 2) they are not legally in the country. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, what parents do or don’t do can have consequences for their children. IN many regards. And when it comes to college aid, federal aid and other such things, there are consequences. I think I’ve outlined as much or more than anyone what the situation is for the OP and what some alternatives are. The reason I come back to consulting an attorney so many times, is that it is possible there are doable solutions. Or not. But OP has to find out. I think OP can get into a college, make it work and get a degree. However, whether that is the best way to go, I don’t know. S/he needs to know what the alternatives are, and I can’t do that as I don’t know. </p>
<p>I live in an area that has a large immigrant population and many of them are here illegally. I do volunteer for a number of activities to give assistance to them, but draw the line to doing something outright fraudulent, a delicate balancing act many times when the whole status is one that is illegal. Some are using others’ social security numbers, some are not paying their taxes, some are lying on them, some have fake documents, and those I cannot knowingly help. But for certain direct issues, I can. In my state, most of them, most of their children can go to a state school at in state rates, and many of the schools will give out merit money despite illegal status. Can’t get certain funds, however. </p>