S. 14-11 A Resolution to Establish Equal Opportunity for Undocumented Students
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WHEREAS Tufts University’s core values emphasize “a commitment to equal opportunity and
inclusion”;1
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WHEREAS in President Monaco’s 2011 inaugural address he declared that "Diversity remains one
of Tufts' proudest traditions, a defining characteristic of this university";2
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WHEREAS the University announced in its T10 Strategic Plan: “Over the next ten years, Tufts will
demonstrate unprecedented institutional commitment to diversity, inclusion and cultural
competency[...]The future viability of higher education will hinge on reckoning openly with the
challenges and opportunities of accessibility, diversity and inclusion”;3
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WHEREAS the National Immigration Law Center defines undocumented immigrants as “foreign
nationals who entered the US without inspection; with fraudulent documents; or legally as
nonimmigrants” whose Visas have expired;4
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WHEREAS College Board states that “There is no federal or state law that prohibits the admission
of undocumented immigrants to U.S. colleges, public or private”;5
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WHEREAS Tufts administration currently considers the applications and financial aid awards of
undocumented students under the category of international students, which is an inaccurate
representation of their experiences;6
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WHEREAS the aforementioned policy bars undocumented students from receiving financial aid
awards which necessarily meet their demonstrated need, thereby effectively prohibiting many or
most undocumented students from attending Tufts;7
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WHEREAS the Tufts administration is considering including students with Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status under the category of domestic students for admissions and
financial aid purposes;
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WHEREAS DACA is not available to all or most undocumented students given its restrictive
eligibility requirements and multiple barriers to application;8
http://www.tufts.edu/home/get_to_know_tufts/vision_mission/
http://president.tufts.edu/2011/10/inaugural-address/
3http://provost.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/Tufts-Strategic-Plan-Exec-Summary-web.pdf
4 http://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/undocumented-students-guide/:
5 http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/financial-aid/undocumented-students
6http://www.wacac.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/College-Policies-for-Undocumented-Students.pdf
7 http://admissions.tufts.edu/tuition-and-aid/applying-for-aid/international-student-aid/
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WHEREAS DACA is a policy which “will likely end after one renewal with President Obama's
presidency, as it represents only a temporary exercise of discretionary executive power”;9
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WHEREAS Tufts leadership has demonstrated political support for undocumented students in the
past, as when former President Bacow endorsed the DREAM Act, a federal proposal that would
allow undocumented college students a pathway to permanent residency and U.S. citizenship;10
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WHEREAS universities and colleges including Dartmouth,11 Stanford,12 Harvard,13 Notre Dame,14
Whitman College,15 the University of Chicago,16 Emerson College, and more have explicitly stated
that they welcome undocumented students' applications, admit and enroll students regardless of
citizenship, and use non-governmental resources to grant undocumented students financial support;
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BE IT RESOLVED that the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate, on behalf of United for
Immigrant Justice (UIJ), urges Tufts University to consider all undocumented students as domestic
students, including, but not limited to, those with DACA status;
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the TCU Senate urges Tufts University to establish and follow
an explicit, uniform admissions policy and a need-based financial aid policy regarding the review of
applications and financial aid awards for undocumented students.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the TCU Senate urges that the official University admissions
policy for undocumented students be clearly presented and easily accessible online to prospective
students, enrolled students, parents, staff, and faculty.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the TCU Senate urges the University administration to actively
pursue strategies to encourage undocumented students to apply to and attend Tufts; and to support
undocumented students during and after their time at Tufts.
Respectfully submitted by Olivia Dehm, A17, Jessica Dimas, A16, Joanna Dimas, A17, Blaine Dzwonczyk,
A17, Cynthia Guerra, A15, Emma Kahn, A18, Taylor McGinnis, A16, Edgar Pedroza, A16, Miriam Priven,
A17, Zobella Vinik, A15, Andrew Wofford, A17, and Wayne Yeh, A16, on 16 November 2014.
PASSED 27-0-1
8http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-process/frequently-asked-
questions;http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/special-reports/two-years-and-counting-assessing-growing-power-daca
9http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/16/immigration-reform-real-lives-at-stake
10http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2010/04/15/tufts_president_asks_aid_for_undocumented_students/
11http://admissions.dartmouth.edu/financial-aid/apply-aid/prospective-transfer-students/how-apply-aid/undocumented-students
12 http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/01/pf/college/undocumented-students/
13http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/09/24/i-told-harvard-i-was-an-undocumented-immigrant-they-gaveme-a-full-scholarship/
14 http://financialaid.nd.edu/current-students/applying/
15http://www.whitman.edu/about-whitman/diversity/statement-on-undocumented-students
16http://csl.uchicago.edu/diversity-inclusion/key-community-issues/undocumented-students