Do federal tax dollars pay for the college tuition of undocumented immigrants?
No.
Federal law prohibits undocumented students from receiving federal financial aid.
Two Clinton-era laws — the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act — require all students to provide a valid Social Security number or otherwise demonstrate lawful-presence status to receive federal aid.
The Federal Student Aid website confirms that undocumented students—including DACA recipients—are ineligible for federal student aid. However, it notes that undocumented immigrants can still seek financial support through other channels, such as state grant programs, institutional aid, and private scholarships.
The American Journal of Economics and Sociology points out that although there are alternative avenues, they are often limited and inconsistent. Even when available, it is last-dollar aid, covering only remaining costs after all other aid is applied. As a result, this rarely meets the total cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- The Review of Higher Education Undocumented College Students, Taxation, and Financial Aid: A Technical Note
- Federal Student Aid Undocumented Students and Financial Aid
- The American Journal of Economics and Sociology Immigration Status and Postsecondary Opportunity: Barriers to Affordability, Access, and Success for Undocumented Students, and Policy Solutions
This fact brief was originally published on Econofact.
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