'How will I pay for it?' Undocumented students and the barriers to college affordability
The Latino Policy Forum partnered with the National UnDACAmented Research Project (NURP) for a special report on the burdens faced by undocumented students in accessing, persisting in and completing postsecondary education at four-year institutions in Illinois. Below is a brief description of the report. Read the report here.
NURP's special report, "'How will I pay for it?' Undocumented students and the barriers to college affordability," draws on data from the National UnDACAmented Research Project (NURP) led by Professor Roberto G. Gonzales of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. NURP is a multi-year national study that seeks to understand the impact of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on the lives of DACA eligible young adults.
To date, NURP has carried out two rounds of data collection: a national survey of 2,684 DACA eligible young adults, and an initial round of in-depth interviews of eligible young adults in Arizona, California, New York, Georgia, South Carolina, and Illinois. A total of 467 interviews have been conducted in the participating states, with 98 of the interviews completed in Illinois. The NURP team will follow this group of respondents over the next two to three years, with yearly interviews.
In light of the Student ACCESS Bill (SB2196) being considered in Illinois, the NURP team felt it important to draw from our data to elucidate the financial difficulties encountered by undocumented students in transitioning from high school to postsecondary education. Drawing specifically on the qualitative research data we gathered in Illinois, the report intends to inform key stakeholders and constituents on the challenges undocumented students in Illinois encounter in accessing, persisting in, and completing a four-year education.
The Latino Policy Forum assisted in providing information regarding the Student ACCESS Bill throughout the writing of the report and is NURP’s partner in the launch and dissemination of the report.