Removing Barriers to Higher Education for Undocumented Students

Abstract

Undocumented students face uncertain futures, their dreams and potentially thwarted by roadblocks to higher education. Undocumented students have to navigate a complex web of federal, state, and postsecondary institution policies in order to achieve a postsecondary education. The fact that they are too often locked out of colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education is a loss not only for them but for the country as well. This lack of access to higher education means that potential entrepreneurs, highly skilled workers, and middle-class consumers and taxpayers will not be there to grow the economy. It is up to policymakers to unblock the path to a brighter future for thousands of young, eager students and for the country as a whole. This report examines the barriers to higher education for undocumented students and proposes some recommendation for policymakers.