Resource Guide for Educators

Transcription

1 Resource Guide for Educators A Guide to Resources Available to Undocumented Students Organization Contacts Akash Patel Founder & Executive Director, Aspiring Americans Initiative akash@aspiringamericans.org (562) Judith Huerta Parent & Community Specialist, OKCPS jvhuertamorfin@okcps.org (405) Fredy Valencia Affiliate Lead, Dream Act Oklahoma Fredy@dreamactok.org (405) These materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by Oklahoma City Public Schools, its agents or employees. The views and information contained in these materials do not reflect the approval of disapproval of the Board of Education or school administration.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ENROLLMENT AND APPLICATIONS...2 TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID.3 LEGAL RELIEF..5 SAMPLE AFFIDAVIT OF INTENT 7 CAMPUS CONTACTS...8 1

3 ENROLLMENT AND APPLICATIONS Social Security Number & Affidavit of Intent Undocumented students can apply to public and private colleges across the state of Oklahoma without a social security number by signing an Affidavit of Intent when they submit their application. A sample affidavit is available on page 7. Some colleges have varying versions of this affidavit so you should contact each campus to get their copy. We have provided a list of our best campus contacts on page 8. You may also want to advise your students to print out college applications since online modules often do not allow students to continue without inputting a social security number. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) If a student has DACA, then they may use the Social Security number that accompanied it for the college application. A student should still complete the Affidavit of Intent since DACA does not qualify as legal status by state or federal law. Rather, DACA confers lawful presence. International Student Some institutions may insist on enrolling students as international. In some cases, this is okay. But often, this is not only disadvantageous to the student because of additional fees and restrictions, but also difficult to process since they do not have student visas or an agreement with any foreign institution. If this happens, please reach out to us and we will try to find a resolution for the student at the institution. Common Application The Common App is a free application that allows students to apply to over 500 member institutions around the world. Two colleges in Oklahoma accept it Oklahoma City University and the University of Oklahoma. It also provides fee waivers for up to two college applications. Our website has a resource guide to assist undocumented students complete the application here: 2

4 TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID In-State Tuition According to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, students who do not have lawful immigration status are still eligible for resident tuition (same as in-state tuition, just a different classification) as long as they fulfill standard state residency requirements: o Graduate from an Oklahoma high school, public or private. o Live in Oklahoma with a parent/legal guardian while attending an Oklahoma high school for at least two years prior to graduation. o Satisfy admission standards for the institution. o Some institutions may also ask for one of the following: o Provide the institution with a copy of a true and correct application or petition filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to legalize the student s immigration status. o Or, file an Affidavit of Intent with the institution stating that the student will file an application to legalize his or her immigration status at the earliest opportunity the student is eligible to do so. However, since these are simply minimum Regent guidelines, some individual institutions can elect to more narrowly interpret this policy and charge out-of-state tuition to undocumented students. Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG) The Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG) is a need-based award open to students who fulfill state residency and high school graduation requirements. FAFSA is required to apply and for students wishing to attend college during , the window to apply is between January 1 and March 1 the earlier the better since not all students will be granted awards! An undocumented student applicant must provide proof that he/she is currently on file with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to obtain permanent relief. OTAG Application (for those with and without social security numbers): s/oklahoma_tuition_aid_grant.aspx 3

5 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Even though undocumented students are not eligible for financial aid via Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you should still encourage your students to apply, since the Student Aid Report that is generated can be used to apply for other financial aid. BUT a valid social security number is required to apply so only DACA students or other eligible non-citizens may apply. FAFSA application: Don t have a social? Try College Scholarship Service (CSS) Students who do not have a social security number can sign up for CSS, a financial aid service operated by College Board by paying a one-time fee of $16 and $9 for each institution to which they send a financial aid report through CSS. Fee waivers are available. No college in Oklahoma is a member of the CSS Profile, so your Profile must be sent to Oklahoma institutions manually, by or in person, to the relevant campus contact. For further help: CSS Application: Oklahoma s Promise You should encourage your students to apply for Oklahoma s Promise even though the program now requires lawful status (DACA is lawful presence, not lawful status ) of applicants since they could potentially be grandfathered into aid if laws ever change. It is also possible to adjust one s immigration status after applying for Oklahoma s Promise and to get financial aid so it is important encourage everyone to apply! You can find the Oklahoma s Promise application here: html Other Scholarships Aspiring Americans provides a constantly growing list of scholarships that do not require legal immigration status so please check our website to stay updated. We also offer our own private scholarships, which are also posted online and disseminated through our public school partners. 4

6 LEGAL RELIEF Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Some students qualify for Immigration relief through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). On June 15, 2012, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a program for certain undocumented youth called DACA. The following are eligibility requirements for applicants: o Under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012 o At least 15 years old unless they are in immigration court or are under an order to depart the country o Came to the United States before reaching their 16th birthday o Have lived in the U.S. continuously since June 15, 2007 o Entered illegally before June 15, 2012, or immigration status expired as of June 15, 2012 o Was physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making their DACA application o Is currently attending school, has a high school degree or general education development (GED) certificate, or is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or Coast Guard o Has not been convicted of certain crimes Persons granted DACA are protected from deportation for two years (subject to renewal and other legal requirements) and provided with a work authorization permit and driver s license. Absent extraordinary circumstances, the DACA application fee is $465, but Aspiring Americans provides grants to families who cannot afford this fee. While you may want to familiarize yourself with the DACA application process so you can guide your students to these resources, you should not provide legal advice, and you should encourage any minor students to work with a parent or guardian on the application. For assistance with obtaining legal advice, please contact Fredy Valencia at fredy@dreamactok.org 5

7 President Obama s Recent Immigration Announcement President Obama made the following order on November 20, 2014: Expanding previous requirements of DACA: o The previous age cap of 31 years has been lifted, meaning you cannot be too old to qualify for DACA. But you still need to have arrived before you turned 16 to be eligible. o Those who have come to the United States under the age of 16 without legal status before January 1, 2010 are now eligible. o The DACA authorization will now last 3 years instead of 2. o Proof of continuous presence since January 1, 2010 as well as physical presence on November 20, o The remainder of the requirements relating to education and criminal record are identical to the previous DACA authorization. o For more information, visit Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) As part of the same announcement, President Obama expanded relief for parents of U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident Children: An undocumented individual living in the United States who, on the date of the announcement, is the parent of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and who meets the guidelines listed below: o Have continuous residence in the United States since January 1, 2010; o Are the parents of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident born on or before November 20, 2014; and o Are not an enforcement priority as outlined by the Policies for the Apprehension, Detention and Removal of Undocumented Immigrants Memorandum which can be found at While you may not inquire about the status of students directly, it is very important to be as forthright as possible about all available resources so that they feel comfortable asking for assistance and applying for any relief for which they are eligible. 6

8 SAMPLE AFFIDAVIT OF INTENT 7

9 CAMPUS CONTACTS Below is a list of campus recruiters and community advocates who are familiar with helping undocumented students with the application/enrollment process. Institution Contact Phone # Address Bacone College Amber Glass glassa@bacone.edu Carl Albert State Connors State Aaron Emberton Spencer Nero jemberton@carlalbert.edu spencer.nero@connorsstate.edu East Central University Jessika Bailey intlstu@ecok.edu Eastern Oklahoma State Rusty Shaw rshaw@eosc.edu Mid-America Christian University Northern Oklahoma State Oklahoma City Community College Oklahoma State University, Okmulgee Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City Oklahoma State University, Tulsa Oklahoma State University, Stillwater Rogers State University Tiney Holyfield Terri Sunderland tholyfield@macu.edu Matt Cancio Nate Todd Alfredo Melchor Terri.Sunderland@north-ok.edu matthew.s.cancio@occc.edu nate.todd@okstate.edu alfredo.melchor@osuokc.edu Susan Tolbart Susan.tolbard@okstate.edu Virginia Leathers Valerie Vernon virginia.leathers@okstate.edu vvernon@rsu.edu Rose State College Dustin Orrell dsorrell@rose.edu Southwestern Oklahoma State University Tulsa Community College Rachael Hill University of Central Oklahoma Todd Boyd Todd.boyd@swosu.edu Liliana Renteria rachael.achivarehill@ tulsacc.edu lrenteria@uco.edu University of Oklahoma Paola Lopez plopez@ou.edu 8

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