Winter 2010
Journal of College Admission
For centuries, people from all over the world have come to this country in pursuit of the American Dream and a better life full of hope and potential, for themselves and their families. Immigrants have made America what it is today—a mixture and meshing of cultures and customs. But recently, the idea of immigration has sparked feelings of unease and uncertainty among Americans, especially when it comes to unauthorized immigration.
For educators, the complexity of the issue deepens as undocumented children have the right to primary and secondary education, but are severely restricted when it comes to pursuing postsecondary opportunities. Countless undocumented students, full of potential and drive, are faced with these roadblocks year after year. Lack of financial resources, as well as legal misunderstandings, even among those in the profession, perpetuate this troubling cycle.
Spurred by a suggestion from the Human Relations Committee, the Editorial Committee set out months ago soliciting articles on this very topic. Once a taboo subject, undocumented student issues are garnering more attention than ever, but remain overlooked by many. While people seemed enthused to finally address this topic, there was an obvious, but not altogether surprising reluctance to contribute. Would addressing these issues also shed unwanted attention on students already living in fear? Furthermore, while many institutions and counselors have done their own part to assist undocumented students, many did not consider themselves “experts” on the topic.
Despite this hesitancy, it was evident that our members and others in the field were passionate about this topic and reaching these students. As a result, we have gathered a broad range of contributors, from research authorities to institutions implementing new policies, to the voices of the undocumented students themselves. This issue contains important legislative updates on in-state tuition policies, as well as a simplified break down of the Dream Act. In addition to the research and trends, the authors take a look at the backdrop of the life of an undocumented student—revealing underlying layers that eventually result in their college decision-making process. Counselors and students alike share testimonials, first-person accounts, tips, how-to’s, and best practices for working together.
This special issue is an effort to address these problems and seek possible solutions. In order to make an impact on these students’ lives, it is essential to continue to support the DREAM Act legislation and remain knowledgeable about current laws. Even as this issue went to print, these laws continued to change. As confusing as this seems for us to keep track of, imagine the pressure this puts on undocumented students trying to handle their everyday high school careers while staying on top of legislative developments that could entirely change their futures.
In the end, we received more submissions than we were able to print in this issue. We’ve created an additional online supplement available at www.nacacnet.org. We hope this collection of articles provides tools and inspires confidence when working with this unique population of students.
Rachael Groseclose, Journal Editor