Undocumented, DACA, and TPS Student Information

While all Breaking Barriers students will have access to our Breaking Barriers Moodle, undocumented, DACA, and TPS students will also have access to our Navigating Pathways (NP) Moodle.

Why two moodles?
We wanted a separate space dedicated to storing and sharing vital information on immigration news and policy updates, immigration lawyer resources, employment, graduate school, and health & counseling. The NP Moodle page is set up with guest access which will enable students to continue accessing the platform even after they graduate. In contrast, our Breaking Barriers Moodle is accessible to current students only.

Whether you are planning to attend graduate school or enter the workforce, consider joining Navigating Pathways on Moodle. Through this group, we offer career and professional development-oriented workshops and discussions for undocumented, DACA & TPS students. Students are asked to commit to attending all sessions.

Always join Navigating Pathways as a guest to protect your privacy.

In the U.S., most colleges and universities consider any student who currently holds a visa of any type or who is seeking a visa to be an international student. Meanwhile, students with U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status are considered domestic students. This creates a gray space for undocumented students as they do not identify with either international or domestic definitions. Nonetheless, institutions that are “undocumented friendly” (institutions that admit students regardless of citizenship status) require students to identify as either domestic or international when completing their undergraduate college admission application. This is because the domestic student application process is slightly different than the international student application process. To determine which option to select, Dean Leslie has listed the following steps to consider,

• Go on the school's Admissions Office website and see if there are any instructions related to this question published on the site.
• The Admissions Representative for your state will oftentimes list their contact information on their Admissions Office website under the “Staff” or “Contact Us” or “Our Team” page. Consider contacting them or having someone you trust (ex. high school counselor, teacher, mentor, etc.) contact the Admissions Representative and ask them which option to select on the application.
• If an Admissions Representative will be visiting your school, college preparation program, etc., consider connecting with them or having someone you trust (ex. high school counselor, teacher, mentor, etc.) connect with them and inquire about this question.
• If the institution has a designated staff person working closely with undocumented students, consider contacting them or having someone you trust (ex. High school counselor, teacher, mentor, etc.) contact and ask if they can support you with this question.

For financial aid purposes, undocumented students are asked to complete the international student application process when applying to Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr College does not discriminate on the basis of national origin or citizenship in our admissions process (DACA and Undocumented Students, n.d.).

• We value our diverse community and its power to help students become well-rounded and engaged citizens. Bryn Mawr College does not discriminate on the basis of national origin or citizenship in our admissions process, and undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students graduating from U.S. high schools or earning a high school equivalency diploma in the U.S. are encouraged to apply.

• The College will continue to welcome applicants and to support students of all nationalities and religions.

• We will continue to meet full, demonstrated financial need for all students, including undocumented and international students, enrolled at Bryn Mawr.

How to Build Credit for Immigrants by MoneyGeek

You’ll learn what you can do to create and maintain good credit as an immigrant, using a range of tools and resources to help establish your financial life in the U.S.

Financial Support and Resources for Refugees Arriving in the U.S. by MoneyGeek

It may take an average of two years, with multiple background security checks, interviews and health screenings, for refugees to settle in the U.S. Once in the States, there are programs and resources available to help you and your family find a new home, stay safe and become self-reliant.

Adulting 101 - What is Credit? Why Is It Important? Handout

As part of Breaking Barriers' Adulting 101 Workshop Series, our What is Credit? Why Is It Important? Handout provides notes on types of credit, what is credit used for, how to build credit and, understanding credit scores and reports. Moreover, our handout includes links to articles and information on college student credit cards--some banks like, Discover allow non-residents to apply using their Individual Tax-Payer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of an SSN--and credit-builder loans, which are reverse loans where you make payments for a designated amount that gets placed in a savings account and the funds become available to you at the end of the loan period (a great way to build credit and save money at the same time!).

Bryn Mawr has partnered with Klasko Immigration Law Partners (KILP) which is a law firm dedicated solely to providing industry-leading employment-based, investment-based, and litigation immigration services to its clients…by providing high-quality comprehensive immigration legal services. Through this partnership, Bryn Mawr students, faculty and staff are eligible for a free 15-minute consultation. Interested in receiving a consultation? Please contact us at commsbreakingbarriers@hrfjk.com

These national resources include comprehensive information on national and community-based organizations dedicated to supporting the immigrant community in the U.S.

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Information
  • Effective Oct. 31, 2022, we will accept and process renewal DACA requests and accompanying requests for employment authorization under the final rule, consistent with court orders and an ongoing partial stay. We will also continue to accept and process applications for advance parole for current DACA recipients, and we will continue to accept but not process initial DACA requests. DHS is currently prohibited from granting initial DACA requests and related employment authorization under the final rule due to the Oct. 14, 2022 order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, which extended its injunction and partial stay to the DACA final rule – USCIS. For the latest information, check out U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services webpage.
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Information
  • The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. USCIS may grant TPS to eligible nationals of certain countries (or parts of countries), who are already in the United States. Eligible individuals without nationality who last resided in the designated country may also be granted TPS – USCIS. For a list of countries that qualify and updates to the latest information, check out U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services webpage.
• Policies by State – State Financial Aid, Professional Occupational Licensures & Driver Licenses
  • The Higher Ed Immigration Portal serves as a vital source of information to help inform federal, state, and campus-level policies and practices at the intersection of higher education and immigration. The Portal is an online hub of resources that brings together partners from across the higher education and immigration fields to centralize and amplify our collective work.
• Immigrants Rising
  • Immigrants Rising empowers undocumented people to achieve their educational and career goals through personal, institutional and policy transformation. Moreover, Immigrants Rising consists of various webinars, presentations and worksheets that have been helpful for undocumented individuals to understand and map out their plans for college and/or entering the work force. Additionally, the organization has its own scholarship database! Check out their website, here.
• United We Dream
  • United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led community in the country. We create welcoming spaces for young people – regardless of immigration status – to support, engage, and empower them to make their voice heard and win! Check out their website, here.
• Immigration Legal Resource Center
  • The mission of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is to work with and educate immigrants, community organizations, and the legal sector to continue to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Check out their website, here.
• National Immigration Law Center
  • The National Immigration Law Center is a center in the United States that "engages in policy analysis, litigation, education and advocacy, to achieve [the] vision" of "a society in which all people—regardless of race, gender, immigration or economic status—are treated fairly and humanely." Check out their website, here.
• National Services Center
  • We champion immigrants, with urgency today — and for generations to come. For over a century, NSC has empowered immigrants and refugees to thrive in our communities and pursue a just future. We provide comprehensive services and supports including legal protections and remedies, health and wellness, education, and employment services and language access. Check out their website, here.
• Juntos
  • Juntos is a community-led, Latinx immigrant organization in South Philadelphia fighting for our human rights as workers, parents, youth, and immigrants. Check out their website, here.

A free national mobile app that helps undocumented students find scholarships to go to college. Check out their website, here.

Immigrants Rising’s Pre-Law Bootcamp is a four-day program designed to provide undocumented young people interested in applying to law school with extra support navigating the process and a community of other pre-law students and legal professionals.

A list of scholarships and fellowships that don’t require proof of U.S. citizenship for you! The list has general application eligibility requirements, including education level, region/state, and immigration status (e.g. DACA, TPS, in-state tuition eligibility). Only opportunities with due dates within the next 180 days are shown in the list. Check out their website, here.

The nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. MALDEF’s Scholarship Resource Guide is a free, informative resource guide for students, parents, and educators with an extensive list of scholarships, including many that do not inquire about immigration status. Moreover, MALDEF supports law students who seek to further MALDEF’s mission of advancing the civil rights of the Latino community in the United States through their Law School Scholarship Program. Check out their website, here.

Our mission at My Undocumented Life is to provide up-to-date information and resources to undocumented students, their families, and allies (including educators, counselors, and administrators). Check out their scholarships page here.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States. Each year, we invest in the graduate education of 30 New Americans—immigrants and children of immigrants—who are poised to make significant contributions to US society, culture or their academic field. Each Fellow receives up to $90,000 in financial support over two years, and they join a lifelong community of New American Fellows.

PHD's Peer Engagement and Enrichment Program (PEEP) is a graduate pipeline program for undocumented students pursuing health professions. The program's design supports students with complex immigration statuses such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protective Status. Participants pursue health-related programs such as medical school, physical therapy, nursing, etc. Each profession has barriers: background checks, restrictive admission requirements, and inequitable support in schools.

OnlineMastersDegrees.org (OMD) connects students and working professionals with today's best and most affordable master's degree programs available online. OMD also creates and publishes expert-driven content for anyone seeking in-depth information on colleges and universities, degree programs and graduate certificates, financial aid and scholarships, and other areas related to higher education and career growth. Check out their Scholarships and Resources for Undocumented Master’s Degree Students page, here.

ScholarshipsA-Z is a Tucson-based immigrant youth-led organization that works to make higher education accessible to all students regardless of immigration status.

Founded in 1998, Scholarships.com has helped students find money for college and learn about the entire financial aid process. We are among the most widely-used and trusted free college scholarship search and financial aid information resources on the Internet and have been recognized by high schools, colleges and universities nationwide, among others. We’ve built solid relationships with colleges and universities across the country and want to provide students with the opportunity to not only find free money for college and interact with prospective colleges but to be recruited as well.