Higher Education for Immigrant Students

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Higher Education for Immigrant Students

• --------------------------------------------------
  ------------------------
• Dr. Roberto E. Treviño
• Department of Educational Leadership / College of
  Education
• University of North Texas / Denton, Texas
  76203-1337
• (Office) 940.565.2940 / (Home) 940.566.5265
• (E-Mail) rtrevino_at_coe.unt.edu /
  drtrevino_at_earthlink.net
• Alejandra Rincón
• Emergency Immigrant Education Program / Houston
  ISD
• mrincon_at_houstonisd.org
• [phone] (W)

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Presentation Outline I) Categories of
Immigrants II) Issues when working with
immigrant students III) Provisions of House Bill
1403 IV) Financial Aid (FAFSA-What to watch
for) V) Description of the Coalition 1)
History, Mission Purpose 2) Areas of
Work VI) Current national legislation other
states initiatives

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Categories of Immigrants
Entered to the U.S very young with parents
Undocumented students
Undocumented
Members of families with mixed immigration
statuses
Entered with documents and they expired (tourist
or work visa)
Residents (in the process)
Students who have applied for permanent residency
Family reunification NACARA/TPS VAWA/SAW HRIFA/C
uban Ad. Act
Entered with no documents
Immigrants
Can not apply for permanent residency unless
there is an amnesty
Has filled petition for alien relative (I-130)
Students with visas
Non-residents
In-state tuition under HB 1403
Notice of Action Taken (I-797)
Workers w/ visa (H1-B)
Intl Students (F1)
Spouse or minor child of permanent resident or
citizen
Non-immigrants
Tourist visa (B2)
In-state tuition
In-state tuition only for H1-B and H-4
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Issues when working with immigrant students

Privacy Fear to disclose information that could
affect family Lack of trust that information will
not be shared Forced to use false S.S numbers or
documents
Undocumented Paperwork in process Permanent
Resident Citizen


Refugees Tourist visas (B2) Temp. Protected
Status Work visas (H-4)
I.e. Africans (Sudanese) I.e. Europeans
(Bosnia) I.e. Colombians I.e. Salvadorans I.e.
Asians (Pakistan)
Not eligible for federal aid Disqualified for
most scholarships Eligible for state financial
aid (Texas Grant) under HB 1403

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FAFSA-What to watch for

• STEP ONE
• Question 8. Social Security Number (If you dont
  have one write the ID number given by the
  university or provide your TAX ID number)
• Question 13. If you are undocumented mark that
  you are not a citizen or eligible non-citizen.
  If you have started the process with INS provide
  the A number that they have assigned to your
  case.
• Question 24. Write down the state where you have
  lived during the past 12 months. This question
  asks about the place where you have established
  domicile.
• Question 34. If you are not a permanent resident,
  you dont qualify for work-study.
• STEP TWO
• Question 36. Complete this if you support
  yourself. If you have not filed your taxes yet,
  choose option C I will not file.
• Question 42. Provide an estimate of how much you
  earned during the year, even if you didnt
  receive the W-2 forms. If your salary is based on
  tips, provide the amount.

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FAFSA-What to watch for

• STEP FOUR
• Question 60-63. Write down your parents names
  and social security numbers. If they dont have
  one, just write 000-00-0000.
• Questions 64. Write down the number of people
  that live in your parents household. Count
  yourself, even if you dont live with them.
  Include also your parents other children other
  people that live with your parents and who
  receive their financial support.
• Question 66. Write down the state where your
  parents have lived for more than 12 months. This
  question is related to your domicile and not your
  immigration status.
• Question 70. If your parents have not filed their
  taxes yet, choose option C My parents are not
  going to file.
• Questions 76-77. Provide an estimate of how much
  your parents earned during the year, even if they
  didnt receive the W-2 forms. If their salary is
  based on tips or is paid in cash, provide the
  estimated amount.
• STEP SIX
• Question 86. Write down the information of the
  universities that you have applied for. Remember
  that if you are using the ID number given by one
  given university, you will have to fill out a
  different FAFSA for each university. If you are
  using your Tax ID number, you can write here up
  to six universities where you want to apply.

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Description of Coalition
History The Coalition of Higher Education for
Immigrant Students was formed during the fall
of 1999 to support immigrant students in
Southwest Houston. Since January of 2000, the
Coalition has broadened its focus to assist
immigrants from the Houston and Dallas-Fort
Worth metropolitan areas. Mission To identify
and remove the barriers to higher education for
targeted immigrant students Purpose To
promote research and policy development, build
collaborative partnerships, secure funding
and conduct community outreach to provide
broader educational opportunities for
immigrant students.
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Areas of work
A
Collaborative Partnerships
B
Educational Outreach
Colleges Univ.
Prairie View AM Stephen F. Austin
University U. of Houston-Downtown U. of
Houston-Central University of North Texas
Texas Southern University Houston Community
College San Jacinto Comm. College
C
Counseling Support Services
Career Day- City wide event Career Days at
universities College Nights at High
Schools Immigration Forums at schools Tutoring
classes
Through appointments at HS Through follow up
calls Through mail outs
Research
Career Technology (CATE) Student Support
Services District offices
Center for Immigration Research-University of
Houston-Central
Parent conferences Summer Programs
HCC board (May 2000) Higher Ed. Cord. Board
(July 2000) House Bill 1403 (Spring 2001) State
Representative R. Noriega HR 1918 (Student
Adjustment Act)
Communities in Schools National Association
of Hispanic Nurses Mexican Consulate
Society of Hispanic and Professional Engineers
College Board Conference Communities in Schools
summit Counselors workshop
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National Legislation (Student Adjustment Act
HR 1918)

• To qualify a student would be required to meet
  all the following criteria
• Is under 21 years old
• Is attending Secondary School at 7th grade or
  above or applying for or attending college
• Has lived in the US for at least 5 years
• Has maintained good moral character during the
  last five years

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National Legislation (Student Adjustment Act
HR 1918)

• Repeals Section 505 of the IIRIRA of 1996 thereby
  eliminating a restriction on a states ability to
  provide in-state tuition or higher education
  benefits to residents without regard to
  immigration status
• Adjustment of Status is permanent
• Immigrant must be physically present in US on the
  day of enactment
• Information furnished by applicant may not be
  used for other purposes
• Proof of extreme hardship not required
• Adjustments under the Act exempt from numerical
  limitations
• Applicants are eligible for federal education
  assistance and for most other federal programs

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Other states initiatives

• California. A bill passed (AB 540) this past
  October 12/01. All provisions are the same as in
  HB 1403.
• Utah. Exemption From Nonresident Tuition (HB 144)
  bill was approved by the House Education
  Committee.
• North Carolina commissioned a study to see if it
  can afford to pass such a law while activists in
  Georgia are pushing for proposals in their state.
• Some community colleges in Arizona, Illinois, and
  Kentucky are acting locally to allow undocumented
  students to pay in-state tuition

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Other states colleges countermoves

• City University of New York (CUNY) ended their 12
  year policy of allowing undocumented immigrants
  who attended a New York high school to pay the
  in-state tuition.
• Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum vetoed a
  legislative decision allowing aliens to pay
  in-state tuition arguing that the 1996
  immigration law prohibits benefits to aliens
  unless the same benefit is provided to all US
  citizens

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Visit our website at www.go2college.org
Dr. Roberto E. Treviño Department of Educational
Leadership / College of Education University of
North Texas / Denton, Texas 76203-1337 (Office)
940.565.2940 / (Home) 940.566.5265 (E-Mail)
rtrevino_at_coe.unt.edu / drtrevino_at_earthlink.net
Alejandra Rincón Emergency Immigrant
Education Program / Houston ISD mrincon_at_houstonisd
.org [phone] (W)