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Immigration & Higher Education

The following resources provide background information and advocacy tools to support undocumented students in applying, matriculating, and graduating from colleges and universities.

  • “The Higher Ed Immigration Portal is a living resource, updated by a team of immigration and higher education policy and research experts, to reflect the most up-to-date information on national and state-level policies and student data, research, and effective practices.” The Portal collects and publishes statistics and resources to support undocumented, immigrant, and international students. There is a section dedicated to DACA and undocumented students.

  • The Dreamers by the Numbers report provides detailed information about Dreamers in higher education and the workforce, broken down by state and metro area. These are based on FWD.us estimates. (Published March 1, 2021)

  • The Undocumented Students in Higher Education fact sheet provides statistics on undocumented students in higher education in the United States. (Updated March 2021)

  • Fwd.us has a dedicated page to information about DACA, TPS, and DED.

  • The President’s Alliance on Higher Education regularly offers webinars and other learning opportunities.

  • Informed Immigrant has a variety of resources for undocumented students in high school and higher education.

The following resources provide guidance on how undocumented students and allies can advocate for a more inclusive campus:

  • Campus members can set up a training with the University Program of Fwd.us. This program brings together college and university students, faculty, and staff from across the country to advance immigration reform. The program provides resources and trainings to help you engage in successful immigration-related advocacy on campus and with Congress.

  • Immigrants Rising, a California-based organization, has produced a guide and checklist to Building An On-Campus Undocumented Student Program. Campus members can use these resources to analyze existing programming and develop a plan of action.

  • United We Dream, an immigrant youth-led community organization, designed the #HeretoStay Toolkit to help undocumented students and educator allies work with their institutions to increase the resources and support systems available to undocumented students. This toolkit identifies three levels of change—with resources like letter templates, school activities, books, and documentaries—for campus members to use in their advocacy.

Legal Resources

Please note that we recommend that students filing applications always consult with an immigration attorney. There are many pro bono or “low bono” options available. To search for legal help, Informed Immigrant and the Immigration Advocates Network have compiled service providers in your area.

AU Dream provides free legal services to all college students in the DC metropolitan area (the “DMV”). If you would like to know about your options under immigration law, please contact us to schedule a consultation.

Initial and Renewal DACA Applications

On July 16, 2021, a federal judge issued a decision, Texas v. United States, in which he held that the government created DACA in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act. At this time, USCIS is only adjudicating renewal applications and Advance Parole applications from DACA recipients. USCIS is not adjudicating initial DACA applications. For updates on DACA, please visit the National Immigration Law Center’s (NILC) DACA page.

  • The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) DACA FAQs provide an overview of the DACA process and answer some Frequently Asked Questions.

  • The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) provides several resources for those eligible for DACA, including videos of DACA requirements and red flags for initial applications, an overview of DACA eligibility and requirements and a useful checklist for gathering documents; and guidance for the USCIS Form I-821D needed to apply for DACA.

  • The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) has a dedicated DACA page with detailed resources, like practice advisories and a detailed legal webinar.     

  • The ILRC and CLINIC provide specific resources for DACA renewal applications.

Financial Support for DACA Applications

  • AU Dream has limited funds available for its clients’ DACA applications. Please contact us for instructions on how to apply for funding.

  • United We Dream has a DACA Application Fund to support applicants with financial needs.

  • The Hispanic Federation has created a DACA Scholarship Program.

Advance Parole for DACA Recipients

An Advance Parole document allows recipients of DACA, applicants and recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and applicants for a green card to temporarily travel abroad and be paroled back into the U.S. For more information, please download our guide or watch this informational session.

Academic Support

Academic support for current AU Students

Academic support for current WCL students

  • The Office of Academic Excellence provides a team of experienced advisors ready to help you excel both in classes and on the bar exam. The office helps students learn how to approach exam hypos, structure their schedules, and addresses individualized academic concerns.

  • The Student Affairs Office provides comprehensive support for the law student community, including disability support and wellness programs, and is a faculty liaison to the Student Bar Association.

  • The Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Affinity Relations works with students, administration, faculty, and alumni, to address issues that are important to maximizing the participation of groups in our community who have been the object of historical and/or statutory discrimination. The office also receives individual complaints of discrimination on campus.

Academic Support for all College Students

  • The Esperanza Education Fund provides college scholarships and professional mentorship to all immigrant students regardless of national origin, ethnicity, or immigration status.

  • Cientifico Latino aims to help undergraduate and graduate students by providing mentorship, open-access resources on scholarships, fellowships and blog posts on professional development.

  • Capital Partners for Education provides one-to-one mentoring and college and career success programming to low-income students in the Washington D.C. area.

Financial Aid

National resources for scholarships and financial aid

Local Resources in the DMV

    • The Esperanza Fund provides college scholarships and mentorship to DC/Maryland/Virginia (DMV) immigrant students.  

    • The Dream Project in Virginia is an organization that empowers students whose immigration status creates barriers to education by working with them to access and succeed in college through scholarships, mentoring, family engagement, and advocacy

    • Maryland State Financial Aid Application provides in-state tuition and state financial aid grants and scholarships to undocumented students.

    • Certain undocumented students in Virginia are eligible for in-state tuition and state financial aid if they meet specific requirements.

    • Certain undocumented students in D.C. are eligible for in-state tuition and state financial aid if they meet specific requirements. The linked District of Columbia page contains state data, policies, and effective practices and resources. Under the state policies tab, you can find information and eligibility requirements for enacted policies relating to in-state tuition, state financial aid, and driver’s licenses for undocumented resident. Other pages provide similar information for each state.