Common Misconceptions About College In The US As A Young Immigrant

One of the many reasons people from other countries choose to make their way to the United States is because it is home to some of the most well-known institutions for education in the world. However, if you are an immigrant who is here and undocumented, you may think that taking advantage of college is totally out of your reach. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about higher education that are totally wrong. As an immigrant in the US, you will definitely want to get to know the facts about colleges and universities and how many rights you have about your education here. 

Misconception: You cannot gain entry into college if you are an undocumented immigrant student. 

Fact: This is actually untrue. There are no laws or regulations that state you cannot go to college or a university if you are an immigrant in the country who is not documented. This is true on both federal and state levels and most schools will never even ask that you provide any kind of proof that you are a legal citizen when you go to apply or enroll. Even though there are no laws or regulations regarding your immigrant status and entry into college, some educational institutions do have certain conditions that must be met that can make your entry a little harder. 

Misconception: You pay more as an undocumented student for tuition if you do get into college. 

Fact: Your tuition should be no higher than that of any other student if you get accepted into college as an undocumented immigrant unless you do not qualify for in-state tuition because of your immigrant status. However, your initial enrollment may be a little more challenging because access to certain documents from your home country can be difficult to obtain. Because of this, some schools do have extra enrollment fees you will have to pay when you are getting enrolled. 

Misconception: There is no financial aid available if you are an undocumented immigrant. 

Fact: Federally funded aid is not available to students who are not legal citizens of the US. However, many states have programs in place at the state level that may provide you with some financial assistance even though you are an immigrant. Therefore, it is best to go ahead and apply for financial aid to find out more about the programs available in the state where you reside because there may be some form of financial aid available. 

For more information about immigrant's rights, check out sites like http://www.kasselandkassel.com.


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