SUPPORT FOR
UNDOCUMENTED
STUDENTS 101
KATHARINE GIN
Cofounder and Executive Director, E4FC
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BACKGROUND ON
E4FC
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Our Mission
To help undocumented students
achieve their academic and career
goals and actively contribute to society
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Our History
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Started by educators in 2006
Civil rights issue
Refused to tell students to wait
Transformation from an educator to
student-led organization
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Our Programs & Services
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New American Scholars Program
Legal Services
Outreach Program
Career Internships
Creative Writing Program
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Our Resources
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Scholarship Lists
Student Guides
Educator Guides
Parent Guides
Advocacy Materials
Documentary Film
Student Stories & Poems
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TOP 6 WAYS
YOU CAN SUPPORT
UNDOCUMENTED
STUDENTS
Illustration by
Santiago Ucedo
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#1 DON’T MAKE
ASSUMPTIONS
Undocumented & Awkward: Episode 7
DreamersAdrift.com
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Undocumented
students do not only:
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Come from Mexico or Latin America
Speak Spanish
Have strong accents
Take ESL classes
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What you can do to
help students:
§  Identify yourself as an ally
§  Make resources easily
available
§  Use E4FC posters, stickers,
and bookmarks
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#2 KNOW & SUPPORT
RELEVANT POLICIES
AND LEGISLATION
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Plyler v. Doe
§  1982 Supreme Court ruling
§  K-12 education is a fundamental,
protected right
§  All children living in the United States
regardless of citizenship or residency
status
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FERPA
§  Family Educational and Privacy Act
§  Protects privacy of student records at
educational institutions
§  No risk for deportation just by
applying to or enrolling in college
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AB 540
§  Allows certain non-resident students
(including undocumented students) to
receive in-state tuition in CA
§  Students must complete at least 3
years of high school in CA
§  AB 540 ≠ undocumented
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CA DREAM ACT
§  AB 130 & AB 131
§  Passed in 2011
§  Will allow AB 540 students
to access public and
private funds to support
their college educations
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AB 130
§  Private scholarships administered
through CA public colleges &
universities
§  Effective January 2012
§  Contact individual financial aid offices
for school-specific awards
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AB 131
§  Institutional grants
§  Board of Governors fee waivers at
CCs
§  State financial aid (Cal Grants)
§  Effective January 2013 (Cal Grants in
2013-2014)
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What you can do to
help students:
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Understand in-state tuition requirements
Understand college-specific policies
Follow CSAC (CA Student Aid Commission)
Refer to E4FC Fact Sheet & Student Guides
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#3 FIND SCHOLARSHIPS
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What you can do to
help students:
§  Identify scholarships that don’t require SSNs
§  Use E4FC’s Scholarship List & Financial Aid
Guide
§  Ask scholarships to consider undocumented
student applicants
§  Create your own scholarship
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#4 IDENTIFY ROLE
MODELS
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What you can do to
help students:
§  Identify older undocumented students from
your school
§  Invite E4FC’s Student Outreach Team to
present at your school
§  Show E4FC’s documentary film (Don’t Stop
Me Now)
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#5 REFER TO LEGAL
SERVICE PROVIDERS
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Findings from our Case
Analysis Team:
§  50% of clients have never received legal
help
§  Main impediments = cost, lack of
information, and fear
§  37% of clients have possibility to legalize
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What you can do to
help students:
§  Convince students that a legal consultation
is valuable
§  Identify reputable legal service providers
§  Encourage students to pursue immigration
remedies (if eligible)
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#6 INSTILL AGENCY
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What you can do to
help:
§  Create a safe community
§  Start a student group/club
to raise awareness
§  Encourage students to
§  share their stories (when
safe)
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Things I’ll Never Say
by Ingrid
Hernandez
Visit E4FC website to read Ingrid’s story
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