The document discusses the challenges faced by unauthorized students in the U.S., highlighting statistics on their educational attainment and the legal landscape affecting their access to college. It outlines the Illinois Dream Act, which allows some unauthorized students to pay in-state tuition, and the DREAM Act legislation proposals aimed at providing a pathway to legal status for eligible undocumented youth. Additionally, it emphasizes the emotional struggles of unauthorized students, including fear and isolation, while advocating for support resources and legislative action.

1. Aliza Gilbert
Highland Park High School, IL
224/765-2055
agilbert@dist113.org
Helping DREAMers Achieve the
College Dream

3. Who is unauthorized?
 Any individual currently in the United States who:
 entered without inspection
 entered with false documents
 entered on a legal visa but the visa has since expired

4. Who are our unauthorized students?
 Students who immigrated recently with parents and all
are unauthorized
 Students who immigrated recently without parents
 Students who immigrated at a very early age with
parents and all are unauthorized
Note….
 Students born in the U.S. to unauthorized parents are
citizens, but they cause us concern as well.

5. Why is this issue so important?
 1.5 million unauthorized students in the U.S. are under
the age of 18. (Passel & Cohn, 2009)
 40% of unauthorized students ages 18-24 have not
graduated from high school. (Passel & Cohn, 2009)
 Fewer than 50% of unauthorized adults ages 18-24 with
a high school degree have attended any college. (Passel & Cohn,
2009)
 Between 5-10% of unauthorized students will attend
college immediately after high school. (Gonzales, 2007)
 8% of all children born in the U.S. are born to at least
one unauthorized parent. (Passel & Cohn, 2011)

6. Current situation in Illinois
 Largest population in CA,TX, FL and NY (~900,000-2.7
million in each state)
 Next grouping has ~ a half million – NJ,AZ, GA and IL
 The population in IL has held constant while other states such
as GA, NC have grown (Passel & Cohn, 2009)
 94% live in metropolitan areas (nationwide)
 In Illinois predominately in Chicago and collar counties
(Passel & Cohn, 2009)

7. K-16 opportunities
 Plyer v.Doe (1982) grants unauthorized students right to a
K-12 education.
 Right does not extend to post-secondary education
 No federal law specifically prohibits unauthorized
students from attending a public college or university
 Private colleges have the right to admit or deny any
student.
 AACRAO Member Survey in 2009 – approximately
50% of colleges responding indicated that they
knowingly admit unauthorized students.

8. DREAM Act (Senate)
American DREAM Act (House)
Provides undocumented students who entered the country at age
15 or youngerAND entered at least 5 years before the passage of
the legislation AND are not 35 years of age eligibility for legal
status.
 DREAM/ADAAct would enable high school graduates to
apply for conditional permanent resident status.
 Students would then have six years to complete two years of
college or military service.
 Students who complete this condition, and demonstrate good
moral character, could apply for permanent residency.
(www.nilc.org)

9. DREAM Act Update
2010
 Wednesday, December 8, 2010 the DREAMAct passed the U.S. House of
Representatives with a vote of 216-198.
 Saturday, December 18, 2010 with a vote of 55-41 the Senate failed to take up
discussion of the bill.
2011
 OnWednesday, May 11, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin
(D-IL), Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Robert Menendez
(D-NJ), and 30 of their colleagues introduced the Development, Relief and
Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act ( S. 952) in the U.S. Senate.
 In the House, Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA), Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen (R-FL-18), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-34) introduced the
DREAMAct 2011 (H.R. 1842).
(nilc.org)

10. State Measures – Restrict or Support
Access
 Some states have introduced bills addressing residency
requirements for in-state tuition for all students.
 A small number do not specifically permit in-state tuition for
unauthorized students, but have certain tuition policies that might
allow them to receive it.
 A growing number prohibit unauthorized immigrants from
receiving in-state tuition.
 And still others, prohibit admission of unauthorized immigrants
at some or all public colleges or universities.

12. IL Public Act 93-007
 Students can pay in-state tuition at all Illinois public colleges
and universities if they:
 Graduated from an IL high school
 Attended high school in IL for three years while living with
a parent or guardian
 Sign an affidavit stating that they will seek legal status as
soon as they are eligible

13. State Dream Acts
These bills address such things as:
 Create a private fund for scholarships
 Allow unauthorized students to apply for state aid
 Require counselors to receive training regarding opportunities
for unauthorized youth
 Allow unauthorized students to obtain a driver’s certificate
 Provide eligibility for healthcare coverage

14. Illinois Dream Act
 Signed into law on August 1, 2011
 Create a private fund for scholarships
 Require high school and college admission counselors to receive
training regarding opportunities for unauthorized youth
 Permit families to participate in the state’s two college tuition
savings plans

15. Institutional Measures
 Little guidance for private colleges
 Some admit, and occasionally fund, while others deny
 Most have no clear policy
 Stakeholder influence is significant

16. National Coming Out of the
Shadows Day
 Daley Plaza on Saturday, March 10th from 1-3pm
 Undocumented immigrant youth will be encouraged to
'come out' publicly and share their stories at the rally
 Past rallies have drawn nearly 1,000 attendees.
 Theme is: “I define myself.Undocumented,unafraid,and
unapologetic.
”
 Purpose is to highlight the diversity, right to self-expression,
and support for self-determination, that the undocumented
are often denied.

17. Some final thoughts
 3 main concerns of unauthorized college students: fear
of deportation, loneliness and depression. (Dozier, 1993)
 Many also report frustration, helplessness, shame and
fear as a result of their unauthorized status. (Munoz as cited in Perez, et al,
2010)
 Unauthorized students are less likely to participate in
civic engagement and extracurricular activities in college
than high school, but are more likely to become involved
in political activism. (Perez, et al, 2010)
 Unauthorized students report a sense of belonging and
connectedness when a part of campus activities. (Munoz as cited in
Perez, et al, 2010)

18. Resources
 Educators for Fair Consideration www.e4fc.org
 ILAssociation for CollegeAdmission Counseling
www.iacac.org/undocumented
 DreamActivist www.dreamactivist.org
 IL Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
www.icirr.org
 Support the DREAMAct and other related pieces of
legislation by writing, emailing and calling your legislators
 NACAC Legislative Action Center
www.nacacnet.org
 American School CounselorAssociation
www.schoolcounselor.org

19. Questions and Answers
A special thank you to:
•AnnetteVitale-Salajanu, Immigrant Educator at University of Illinois Extension
•FredTsao, Policy Director at the IL Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
•Dr. Claudia Rueda-Alvarez, Counselor,MaineWest High School
•DeEnna Holohan, College Counselor,Loyola Academy

20. References
Dozier, S. B. (1993). Emotional concerns of undocumented and out-of-status foreign students. Community
Review, 13(1), 33-39.
Gonzales, R. (2007). Wasted talent and broken dreams:The lost potential of undocumented students.Washington,
DC: Immigration Policy Center. Retrieved from http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/special-
reports/wasted-talent-and-broken-dreams-lost-potential-undocumented-students
Muñoz, S. M. (2008). Understanding issues of college persistence for undocumented
Mexican immigrant woman from the new Latino Diaspora:A case study. Unpublished
dissertation, Iowa State University.
Passel, J. S. & Cohn, D. (2009). A portrait of unauthorized immigrants in the United States.Washington, DC:
Pew Hispanic Center. Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1190/portrait-unauthorized-
immigrants-states
Passel, J. S. & Cohn, D. (2011). Unauthorized immigrant population:National and state trends,2010.
Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center. Retrieved from
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=133
Pérez,W., Cortés, R. D., Ramos, K., & Coronado, H. (2010). “Cursed and blessed”: Examining the
socioemotional and academic experiences of undocumented Latina and Latino college students. In J.
Price (Ed.), New Directions for Student Services (No. 131, pp. 35-51). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
doi:10.1002/ss.365