<p>One of our children is undocumented from Mexico. We adopted him two years ago and although we are in the process of trying to apply for citizenship, there are a number of obstacles and it will take some time. He will be a senior next school year, so we will begin applying to colleges this coming fall. He has SAT scores of 610 Math, 620 Reading, 690 Writing. He will graduate either first or second in his class with a GPA of around 4.6.
Which schools will accept him without citizenship and will any of them offer him a scholarship? He would prefer to stay in SC and going far away, like to California, is definitely not a possibility because of travel costs.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks</p>
<p>You need to find out if he is considered an in state applicant at any public community college or university in his state of residence. If not, he would apply as an international applicant. Until his status is adjusted, he will not be eligible for federally determined (FAFSA) financial aid. If your family cannot cover the full costs of his education, he will need to focus his applications on the relatively small number of institutions that offer aid to international students.</p>
<p>His GPA is excellent. If he can improve his SAT scores or get better scores with the ACT, there are a few places that would award him guaranteed merit-based admissions and aid. Look for the threads on Automatic or Guaranteed merit scholarships in the financial aid forum.</p>
<p>Now go light another fire under that immigration lawyer if yours. If this adoption was completely legal, and at least one adoptive parent is a US citizen, the paperwork should have been finished long ago.</p>
<p>OP: I know I am reviving your thread but I don’t think any public institutions in South Carolina even accept undocumented students. I don’t know whether I can link this (mods please don’t get mad) but [Undocumented</a> Students Are Banned From South Carolina Colleges and Universities - Learning the Language - Education Week](<a href=“http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2008/06/undocumented_students_are_bann.html]Undocumented”>Undocumented Students Are Banned From South Carolina Colleges and Universities) . As you can see, your adulterer former governor Mark Sanford signed a bill that bans undocumented students from all public universities in South Carolina. I think that your son should consider raising his SAT score by 200 points and apply to some elite institutions. if your son wants to stay in South Carolina, then he probably would have to apply to some private colleges. Good luck in both the college admissions process and the naturalization process.</p>
<p>You should apply to Questbridge. Their program helps top students, including undocumented, get into top colleges with full scholarships. It’s quite selective though.
There’s a Questbridge forum on this website, check it out.</p>
<p>I don’t think questbridge will work for this child. The parents’ may not have a low enough income.</p>
<p>OP…I thought that in the US, when a foreign child is adopted he is immediately given US citizenship…is that no longer the case?</p>
<p>He should try some of the NE LACs…ones that don’t care about him being undocumented. However, his aid would be need based likely.</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids,
I thought that was the case as well. However, I think that complications may have arisen because OP’s adopted son is near adulthood. I know a family of undocumented immigrants who tried to make their daughter a US citizen by convincing a US citizen relative to adopt her. She was 14 and it took 2 years before she finally naturalized.</p>
<p>I do not think he would go under the catagory of undocumented. It sounds like he has documents, like the adoption papers. If you are legal and you live there, and you are his parents, and there was nothing hokey about the adoption (he was under 18 and so on) then he should be fine and the documented status won’t matter. It sounds like you are currently going through citizenship papers too. That is also not undocumented. Undocumented is someone with no legal parents here, not born here, not paying taxes, and so on.</p>