Finding Scholarships Identity-Based Scholarship Series: Scholarships for Undocumented Students Written by Robyn Stewarton August 31st, 2021 Prior to joining College Coach, I was a financial aid officer at the College of the Holy Cross and an education advisor at two TRIO program locations. I work with the Massachusetts Education Finance Authority (MEFA) to present paying for college workshops to hundreds of families across the state. I'm a graduate of UMass Amherst and have a master in counseling from Northeastern University. Learn More About Robyn identity-based scholarships, scholarship search, scholarships, by Robyn Stewart, former financial aid officer at College of the Holy Cross Scholarships are a way to close the gap between the cost of attendance at a college and a family’s own resources. Among the many scholarships that students can apply for are those that are established to support students based upon the ways they define themselves. There is no comprehensive list of identity-based scholarships; professional associations, companies, non-profit entities, religious organizations, political groups, and colleges and universities are among the many sponsors of scholarships that may be awarded in part based upon a student’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or presence of a disability. Bright Horizons College Coach wants to help ensure that students from all backgrounds have access to the resources they need to achieve their educational goals and has therefore launched this monthly scholarship series to help students pinpoint funding opportunities based upon their unique identities. Check out the below resources, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover funding sources that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier. This month, we look at scholarship resources for undocumented students. Note that the below list is not exhaustive, but is intended to provide a starting place for undocumented students to launch their scholarship searches. Some awards will be restricted to undocumented students, while others may be more general program that aren’t limited to citizenship. Your high school’s counseling office, general scholarship search sites like www.scholarships.com, and college websites can also provide useful scholarship information. The Dream.US supports students residing in the U.S. achieve the goal of a college education by providing financial support at over 70 partner higher education institutions. Students can apply for the National Scholarship and the Opportunity Scholarship; the latter is for students who live in states where undocumented students do not receive in-state tuition.High School seniors living in New York City should consider applying to a scholarship offered by the Ascend Educational Fund. Applicants must be immigrants or the child of two immigrants.The Esperanza Education Fund provides students in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, with family incomes under $100,000 the chance to win a college scholarship and lifetime network of mentors.Golden Door Scholars administers a scholarship program for recent high school graduates, current college students, and community college graduates who wish to earn a four-year degree. Students must be DACA recipients and/or lack lawful status in the U.S. Other eligibility criteria include a high GPA and demonstrated leadership in the classroom and community.To date there are 19 states that have provisions which allow undocumented students to be considered for in-state tuition: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Students are encouraged to reach out to their prospective colleges for more information. Remember, students are expected to report outside scholarships they receive to their college, and receipt of scholarships may impact other parts of a student’s financial aid award. It is best practice to reach out to the Financial Aid Office at your college for clarification of awarding policies. Related Resources Read | Posted on April 7th, 2025 Identity-Based Scholarship Series: Scholarships for Asian American Students Read | Posted on February 14th, 2025 Identity-Based Scholarship Series: Scholarships for Black Students Read | Posted on September 13th, 2024 Identity-Based Scholarship Series: Scholarships for Hispanic Students
