STAYING INFORMED
As an undocumented student it is important that you
know your rights and stay informed about
immigration policy. Below you will find some great
resources.
• The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant
and Refugee Rights
icirr.org
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center
ilrc.org
• Mexican American Legal Defense and
Educational Fund (MALDEF)
maldef.org
• National Immigration Law Center
nilc.org
For more information
please contact:
Mary Foreman
International Student Coordinator
(815) 921-4251
[email protected]
The office is located
on the 2nd floor of the Student Center,
Main RVC campus
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
uscis.gov
RESOURCES FOR
UNDOCUMENTED
STUDENTS
How to obtain a college education
as an undocumented student
Additional Supporting Organizations
• Illinois Association for College
Admission Counseling
iacac.org/undocumented
*Highlights the universities that admit noncitizen students
and the resources available to them
• Immigrant Youth Justice League
iyjl.org
• Latinos Progressando
latinospro.org
• The Latin American Recruitment and Educational
Services Program University of Illinois at Chicago
lares.uic.edu
3301 N. Mulford Road
Rockford, IL 61114-5699
(815) 921-7821
RockValleyCollege.edu
Rock Valley College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion,
national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, age, disability, marital status,
sexual orientation, veteran status, military status, genetic information, or any
legally protected category.
Rev. 8/2015 Qty. 1000
RockValleyCollege.edu
PURSUING EDUCATION GUIDE FOR NON-CITIZENS
This guide will answer questions on how to obtain a college education and provide you
with helpful resouces. As an undocumented student, it is important that you know your
rights and stay informed about immigration policy.
ROCK VALLEY COLLEGE
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT ADMISSION(1)
The Law In The State Of Illinois
An undocumented student refers to students who
were born outside the United States, but have lived in
the country for a significant portion of their lives, and
who reside here with no documentation stating U.S.
citizenship or legal residency.
House Bill 60-In-State Tuition for Undocumented
Students (Signed into law as Public Act 093-0007)
states that undocumented students in Illinois may
receive in-state tuition if they meet the following
conditions:
•Student resided with his or her parent or guardian
while attending a public or private high school in
Illinois.
•Student graduated from an Illinois high school or
received the equivalent of a high school diploma in
Illinois.
•Student attended an Illinois high school for at least
three years as of the date of graduation from high
school or received the equivalent of a high school
diploma in Illinois.
•Student provides the community college with an
affidavit** (oath made in writing) stating her/his
intent to file an application to become permanent
residents as soon as they are eligible.
**The affidavit can be obtained in the Intercultural
Student Services Office located on the second floor
of the student center.
FINANCING YOUR EDUCATION
• Undocumented students are not eligible to apply
for state and federal financial aid, but may be
eligible for many private scholarships
• For a database of private scholarships available to
undocumented students living in Illinois visit:
icirr.org/education
maldef.org
illinoisdreamfund.org
• Begin looking for scholarships as early as possible.
Work with your high school guidance counselor or
any other school personnel that you trust
• Contact individual groups or colleges/universities
about resources that may be available
For more information about Public Act 093-0007,(2)
please visit
ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.
asp?Name=093-0007
This does not guarantee admission to a state
community college or university. Students must meet
admissions requirements and must contact the
community college and/or the university directly.
OBTAINING STATE LICENSES/
CERTIFICATIONS
Professions that require state licensing or
certification require background checks, a social
security number and state examinations. If you are
undocumented, it may be difficult to pursue any type
of state licensing or certification. Some of the
professions that require a state license or certificate
are in health care, education, and government.
Potential friendly careers include, business ownership,
hotel management, restaurants, journalism,
computers, manual labor, trade fields, radio & tv
broadcasting, administrative positions, and cash
based business.
(1) Direct questions about Undocumented Student admission to (815) 921-4251. This school is authorized under federal law to enroll
undocumented immigrant students. (2)The exact language from PA 93-007 supersedes the language included in this brochure.
SCHOLARSHIP DO’S AND DON’TS
• Check eligibility requirements for the scholarships
you are interested in applying for
• If an application asks for your Social Security
number and you do not have one yet, leave that
space blank
• Contact the scholarship provider for application
details and deadlines
• Provide accurate information. Providing false
information or providing a false Social Security
number is a Federal offense
• Scholarship scams exist. Do not pay any fees to
apply for scholarships
RockValleyCollege.edu