Supporting Undocumented Students in the CSU

By Jaquelyn Caro-Sena

Undocumented students* in colleges and universities face an array of challenges unique to their immigration status including a high risk of COVID-19 exposure, economic insecurity, lack of access to financial aid, volatile immigration policies, and discriminatory policies and practices at various campus levels. Each year, 27,000 undocumented high school seniors graduate from California schools, but less than 10% pursue higher education. At the postsecondary level, there are up to 70,000 undocumented students in the California Community Colleges, approximately 9,500 in the California State University (CSU), and about 4,000 at the University of California.