Unusual Scholarships for Undocumented Students

Scholarships for undocumented students are, in many cases, a necessity for who have not legally registered as citizens or residents in the country they reside in. Many unique scholarships are available for legal residents only, making finding financial aid for undocumented immigrants at times incredibly difficult. Fortunately there are some unusual college scholarships for undocumented students available through various programs which help get around this problem for those interested in pursuing a degree from a college.

While not all of these undocumented student scholarships are specific, their lack of residential requirement makes them open to all students from a diverse background. Most of them are available specifically to migrant students or workers, so the application pool is not going to be so large as to be daunting. Though there are not nearly as many scholarships for undocumented students as there are for residents of a given country, this should not deter those interested in higher education from seeking financial aid.

Since students loans often require citizenship or valid tax identification numbers, undocumented students are going to have a harder time finding student loans which would otherwise help offset the need for undocumented scholarships. Because of this, undocumented students should seek out migrant oriented minority scholarships and apply to as many for which they are eligible, maximizing their chances for financial aid in the long run.

One of the best college scholarships for undocumented students out there has to be the Chicano Organizing and Research in Education (CORE) Que Llueva Café Scholarship. Their third annual minority scholarship specifically targets undocumented students who have not yet entered college but are interested in higher education. In their first year, CORE gave out up to $7,000 to needy students and then up to $9,000 in their second. CORE constantly tries to give out as much money as they can, though they are limited by the amount of donations to their migrant scholarship program which they receive. They strive to increase their amounts every year and though awards have not been announced for 2011, it is expected that they will either maintain previous amounts or go above them. Though targeted at undocumented students, the CORE scholarship requires that all applicants be of Chicano or Latino descent. Students must have been born outside of the US, but reside in the country without the legal consent of the government. All students must be enrolled in high school or have attained their GED and are enrolling in college for the first time at the moment of applying. On top of these factors, students must also demonstrate a financial need and show academic strength in their transcripts. When submitting their applications, students should submit a personal statement outlining their individual story and detailing their academic interests while also submitting at least one letter of recommendation. The deadline for the CORE scholarship is Febraury 25, 2011.

Another unusual scholarship for undocumented students would be the Migrant Farmworker Baccalaureate Scholarship. This program offers migrant workers who have already spent some time in college up to $2,000 in financial aid. Students must show a recent history of movement for migrant work, academic achievement, a sincere financial need and be able to provide an example of the successful completion of at least one year of higher educational studies. When applying for the program, applicants should find three letters of recommendation, write a personal essay indicating why they are seeking the migrant scholarship, and provide a Migrant Education Certificate of Eligibility. The deadline for this program is July 1 every year.

Students should always keep their eyes peeled for additional scholarship opportunities because there are many out there beyond those listed in this article. It is important to find and apply to as many undocumented student scholarships as possible, less you find yourself denied for a few you applied to and left without much some needed financial aid. It can be difficult at times to be both undocumented and a student in the United States, or anywhere for that matter, so making higher educational goals more easily attainable by finding decent unusual scholarship programs should be a top priority.

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