College Financial Aid/Scholarships

Tuition Equity Laws or Policies: At least 25 states and the District of Columbia have laws or policies allowing certain students who attended and graduated from secondary schools in their state to pay in-state tuition at public institutions, regardless of immigration status. These states are:

• Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington.

• The University of Michigan’s Board of Regents has adopted a similar policy for its campuses.

• Requirements of tuition equity laws and policies vary from state to state, but eligible students generally must have:

• attended a school in the state for a certain number of years; and

• graduated from high school or obtained a GED in the state.

  
  

State Financial Aid: At least 16 states and the District of Columbia provide or plan to provide state financial aid to students who meet specific criteria, regardless of immigration status. These states include:

• California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington.

  
  

Private Institutional Aid or Scholarships:

Many colleges across the United States offer need-based private institutional aid or scholarships to undocumented students, recognizing the financial barriers these students often face. Unlike federal aid, which undocumented students are typically ineligible for, institutional aid is funded directly by colleges and universities, allowing schools to set their own eligibility criteria. There are many US Colleges that Meet 100% of Demonstrated Need for Undocumented and DACA Students. And the list has only been growing. 

These scholarships and grants are designed to support students with demonstrated financial need, regardless of their immigration status. Some institutions explicitly include undocumented students, including those protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), in their aid policies. This aid can take various forms, including tuition waivers, need-based grants, or access to privately funded scholarship programs. 

Financial need is the difference between the cost of attendance and the amount the student’s family is expected to contribute. Undocumented students can not apply for FAFSA due to being ineligible for federal aid. Instead, some colleges require the CSS Profile to learn about the student’s financial situation, while others have their own unique financial aid application. So, it is important to understand each college’s policy and information submission date.

Non-Institutional Programs Available to Undocumented Students

Below are some examples of programs outside of institutional college that offer financial support for undocumented students. Some programs work with a limited list of colleges. 

• Golden Door Scholarship: The Golden Door Scholarship funds a four-year bachelor's degree at a partner school.

Eligibility: 

• Applicants must have one of the following documentation or immigration statuses

• - DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)

• - Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

• - U-1 visa

• - Pending Asylum case open with USCIS

• - Pending Refugee

• - Undocumented, foreign-born people who do not possess a valid visa or other recognized immigration documentation in the United States

• Applicants must have high financial need

• Applicants can be high school seniors, recent high school graduates, current college/community college students, or obtained a GED (General Education Development) certificate from a United States Program

• Applicants must live in the United States for at least four (4) years before applying for the Golden Door Scholarship

• For high school seniors, applicants must have an unweighted high school GPA of 3.2

• For college transfers, applicants must have a college GPA of 3.0 and a high school GPA of 3.2 or a GED

• Please note that if you are a US citizen, permanent resident, or F1 visa holder (International Student), you are NOT eligible for the Golden Door Scholarship at this time.

Application Timeline: 

• August - Applications open

• October 1 - Applications close

• Early November - Final candidates are interviewed

• Late November - Award calls

Scholarship Amount: Up to $40,000

• Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program: The award, which is last dollar funding after all institutional aid, can provide as much as $40,000 per year to pursue a bachelor's degree at any accredited undergraduate institution

Eligibility:

• Senior standing – Plan to graduate from a U.S. high school in spring 2024.

• Fall College Enrollment – Intend to enroll in an accredited four-year college beginning in fall.

• GPA – Earn a minimum, cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 or above.

• Demonstrate Unmet Financial Need – We will consider applicants with a maximum annual gross income of $95,000. Last year's cohort of new College Scholarship recipients had a median family income of approximately $40,000. During the selection process, the Foundation will conduct a full financial review which will take into account all income and assets of the student and the student's parents.

Application Timeline:

• August 24 - Application opens. Apply online in the Common App.

• November 16 - Application submission deadline.

• January - Semifinalists are announced. All applicants will be notified of their status via email.

• March - Scholarship recipients are announced. All semifinalists will be notified of their status via email. 

• Scholarship Amount: Four-year scholarship $40,000 per year

• The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship

Eligibility:

• College Freshman – Plan to transfer from a U.S. college to a different  U.S. college.

• Fall College Enrollment – Intend to enroll in an accredited four-year college beginning in fall.

• GPA – Earn a minimum, cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 or above.

• Demonstrate Unmet Financial Need – We will consider applicants with a maximum annual gross income of $95,000. Last year's cohort of new College Scholarship recipients had a median family income of approximately $40,000. During the selection process, the Foundation will conduct a full financial review which will take into account all income and assets of the student and the student's parents.

Application Timeline:

• August 24 - Application opens. Apply online in the Common App.

• November 16 - Application submission deadline.

• January - Semifinalists are announced. All applicants will be notified of their status via email.

• March - Scholarship recipients are announced. All semifinalists will be notified of their status via email. 

Scholarship Amount: Four-year scholarship up to $40,000 per year

• QuestBridge: Through QuestBridge, you can apply for free to the nation's best colleges and be considered for early admission and a full four-year scholarship. 

Eligibility:

• Any high school senior, regardless of citizenship, currently attending high school in the U.S. is eligible for the National College Match. Additionally, U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents living abroad are eligible. International students living outside the U.S. are not eligible.

• Students attending high school in the U.S. as undocumented or international students are eligible to apply, but should review the Additional Citizenship Requirements to see which QuestBridge college partners will consider them for the Match Scholarship.

Application Timeline:

• Late September  - Application Closes

Scholarship Amount: Four-year scholarship up to $200,000

• TheDream.US National Scholarship: The National Scholarship Award will cover your tuition and fees at one of our Partner Colleges up to a maximum of $33,000 for a bachelor's degree.

Eligibility:

• You are undocumented and came to the United States before November 1, 2018, and have continuously lived in the United States since then or have DACA or TPS

• Came to the United States before the age of 16 (if you were born in the U.S. – you are not eligible for our scholarship);

• Have significant unmet financial need;

• Have graduated or will graduate from a United States high school (or have earned or will earn a high school equivalency diploma) before the Fall of 2024;

• Graduated or will graduate with a high school GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale or have a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 or better;

• Intend to enroll full-time in an associate or bachelor's degree program at a Partner College in your state in the Fall of 2024 or Spring of 2025; and

• Are eligible for in-state tuition at the Partner College you want to attend (not applicable if it is a private Partner College in your state).

Application Timeline:

• November 1 - Application Opens

• February 29 - Application Closes

• Late-April – TheDream.US Awardees Notified

Scholarship Amount: Up to $14,500 (Associate’s) and Up to $29,000 (Bachelor’s)

• TheDream.US OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP: The Opportunity Scholarship Award will cover your tuition, fees, on-campus housing, and meals at one of our Partner Colleges out of state up to a maximum of $80,000 for a bachelor's degree.

Eligibility:

• You are undocumented and came to the United States before November 1, 2018, and have continuously lived in the United States since then or have DACA or TPS

• Came to the United States before the age of 16 (if you were born in the U.S. – you are not eligible for our scholarship);

• Have significant unmet financial need;

• Have graduated or will graduate from a United States high school (or have earned or will earn a high school equivalency diploma) before the Fall of 2024;

• Graduated or will graduate with a high school GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale or have a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 or better;

• Intend to enroll full-time in an associate or bachelor's degree program at a Partner College in your state in the Fall of 2024 or Spring of 2025; and

• Living in one of the lock-down states (states that do not offer in-state tuition to Dreamers – or states that prevent Dreamers from attending state colleges and universities): Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio. South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Application Timeline:

• November 1 - Application Opens

• January 29 - Application Closes

• Mid-March – TheDream.US Awardees Notified

Scholarship Amount: Up to $20,000/year

• Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund

Eligibility:

• High school students with financial need pursuing careers in social justice can apply regardless of citizenship. Applicants must submit a personal statement, transcripts, and signed references.

Application Timeline:

• April 1 - Application Closes

Scholarship Amount: Up to $15,000