Resource Guide: Supporting Undocumented Students

(2015, October) | Useful to Parent Centers serving undocumented students. |  The U.S. Department of Education has published this resource guide, Supporting Undocumented Students: A Guide to Success in Secondary and Postsecondary Settings, to help educators, school staff, and community organizations support the academic success of undocumented youth, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.

The guide also aims to debunk misconceptions by clarifying the legal rights of undocumented students as well as sharing helpful information about financial aid options open to undocumented students, and to support youth in applying for DACA consideration or renewal. The guide includes:

• an overview of the rights of undocumented students;
• tips for educators on how to support undocumented youth in high school and college;
• key information on non-citizen access to federal financial aid;
• a list of private scholarships for which undocumented youth might be eligible;
• information on federally-funded adult education programs at the local level; and
• guidance for migrant students in accessing their education records for DACA.

Access the guide at the U.S. Department of Education website, at: 
http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/focus/supporting-undocumented-youth.pdf
(6.5 MB)  If you need Adobe Reader to open a PDF file, see download link at bottom of page.

Background Information about DACA

Since 2012, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has allowed certain undocumented people who came to the U.S. as children and meet other criteria to request two year relief from removal.  These requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  More than 680,000 young people have received DACA. Researchers estimate that nearly 1.5 million undocumented youth in the U.S. are currently eligible for DACA, and another 400,000 children will become eligible in coming years.

Find out more about DACA | in English

Find out more about DACA | in Spanish

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