The admissions office has taken a step forward in its outreach to undocumented students across the nation. After collaborating with UndocuHoyas, a student group that advocates for undocumented students, it has agreed to add a specialized section on its website that clarifies the application and financial aid processes for undocumented students. The university hopes that this move will help make the Hilltop a more attractive place to apply to.
However, Georgetown must continue to pursue proactive measures to better address the needs of current and prospective undocumented students, who often have little to no guidance when navigating the college admissions process.
Undocumented students looking to apply to college have already overcome significant obstacles in their education. Almost half of all undocumented high schoolers drop out. Of those who do graduate high school, only 2.5 percent of them make it to college.
This is likely linked to the fact that the annual income of undocumented families is about 30 percent less than that of other U.S. families. With no access to work-study programs and federal or state aid, undocumented students are unable to rely on government programs to supplement their education. Many universities also refuse to accept applications from undocumented students altogether.
Fortunately, Georgetown welcomes students regardless of citizenship status and provides generous aid packages, such as the 1789 Scholarship. President John J. DeGioia even explicitly expressed support for the DREAM Act, which would have provided undocumented youth with a path to citizenship, when the bill made its way through Congress in Dec. 2010.
Once undocumented students matriculate, however, they find few resources on campus. Staff in the Division of Student Affairs do not receive training about the issues faced by undocumented students. In fact, only one administrator in the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access knows enough about the topic to offer assistance to undocumented students, a population that may increase after the admissions office updates its website.
The Division of Student Affairs should recognize the critical importance of training more administrators to assist undocumented students. It should also consider a separate office or hiring a full-time staff member that specializes in undocumented students’ affairs. This would remedy the lack of support that undocumented students face when they are trying to find internships or jobs and could become a vehicle for advocacy for undocumented students as immigration issues return to the national political agenda.
With or without citizenship, undocumented students are Hoyas too, and they deserve the same support network and opportunities that other Hoyas have access to on campus.
