As of now, there are 911,356 Undocumented Immigrants in Florida according to Higher ED Immigration Portal. Which means there should be special consideration for these people, right?
Sadly, there’s no serious care for them, even to qualify for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) — a program created by former President Barack Obama to give eligible undocumented youth government protection from deportation and the ability to legally seek employment and higher education — has several strict eligibility requirements.
Most students who intend to further higher education are not eligible, and you might be one of them.
The bright side is several undocumented students are still succeeding in the midst of these, most of them, regardless of their DACA status still complete their education, and have amazing professions. Another good news is that there are some scholarships for undocumented students in Florida that can help you reduce the financial stress in university.
Also there are other scholarships for immigrants in the State that will benefit first-gen students or even scholarships specifically for minority women. And if you intend to pursue your career in healthcare, there is still some financial assistance solely for students in healthcare.
Table of Contents
Scholarships for Undocumented Students in Florida
1. QuestBridge Scholarships
- Worth: up to $200,000 for four years
These scholarships are not just focused on DACA students, but also high school seniors who have low financial support for their higher education pursuit, but are academically excellent. QuestBridge doesn’t just offer you scholarships, but they go as far as helping you apply for free to the nation’s best colleges and be considered for early admission and a full four-year scholarship.
The funds can be used for your tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, Travel expenses, etc.
2. TheDream.US National Scholarship
- Worth: up to $16,500 for associate degrees and $33,000 for bachelor’s degrees
This is among the scholarships for undocumented students in Florida provided by TheDream.US for highly motivated students with serious financial need that is still unmet. The scholarship won’t be giving so much concern about your academic record like your GPA, but their major concern is on the level of commitment you’ve shown community service and your ability to overcome the barriers and challenges that undocumented students face each and every day.
Apart from the tuition fund they will award, they will also provide stipends worth $4,000-$5,000.
Priority is given to undocumented immigrant students with or without DACA or TPS who came to the U.S. before the age of 16 and before Nov. 1, 2017.
3. Golden Door Scholars
This is among the scholarships for DACA students in Florida that the providers believe that immigration status should not determine opportunity; that tenacity and hard work should. Besides being a documented student to be eligible, you also need to have a minimum GPA of 3.2 for high school seniors and 3.0 for college transfers and must live in the United States for at least four years.
Most importantly, through their scholarships, more than 350 students have graduated from college or university, since the program started in 2013.
4. TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship for Locked-out Dreamers
- Worth: Up to a maximum of $80,000
This scholarship is solely for undocumented students who live in states where they can’t have access to college education — this could either be because they have to pay out-of-state tuition or the state they are residing in won’t just admit them into their universities. The scholarship will cover your tuition, fees, on-campus housing, and meals at one of their Partner Colleges for a bachelor’s degree.
And one of the best parts is the scholarship is renewable.
5. Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund
- Up to a maximum of $15,000, annually
This is one of the scholarships for undocumented students actively working for peace and social and economic justice in their communities. Though the maximum grant is $15,000, the average grant is $7,500 and students can be granted more than once.
Students are advised to apply each year even if they are recipients of the previous scholarship.
6. Hispanic Scholarship Fund
- Up to $5,000
Unlike most of the scholarships for undocumented students in Florida we have listed, the HSF scholarships are awarded to 10,000 outstanding students. That’s one of the highest numbers of recipients you’ll ever see from a foundation.
Scholars will have access to a full range of invaluable Scholar Support Services, including career services, mentorship, leadership development, knowledge building, and wellness training. Also, scholars will receive up to $5,000, have access to select internship and job opportunities with HSF corporate partners, and many other access.
7. The Esperanza Education Fund
- Worth: Community college students will receive $3,000 to $7,000, whereas students attending four-year universities will receive $4,000 to $16,000.
The Esperanza Education Fund doesn’t only provide scholarships to qualified candidates, but also mentorship. Students need to be immigrants or the children of immigrants and must plan to enroll full-time in an accredited, public two-year community college or four-year university in the US.
Other than the scholarships recipients will receive, they will also have access to mentorship and annual programming.
8. Hispanic Heritage Fund of Metro Orlando
This is one of the scholarships for undocumented students in Florida dedicated to supporting Hispanic students in Central Florida to successfully complete their higher education college career. Besides being of Hispanic heritage to be eligible, you also need to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and need to plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree and enroll full-time.
Preference is given to students who demonstrate financial need.
9. Law Office Of Jae Lee Immigrant Student Scholarship
This is one of the scholarships for DACA students in Florida for first or second-generation immigrants from low-income families worth $1,000 per semester.
Coming from a Law firm, you should expect them to focus on students who intend to study law, right? Actually, they don’t, the scholarship is for any student currently enrolled in or accepted for admission to a college, university, or graduate program with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Also, to be eligible, your family must be considered to be low-income, with an annual household income of less than $50,000.
Important Facts About Undocumented Students
- More than 408,000 undocumented students are enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, comprising 1.9% of all college students in the country (source: American Immigration Council)
- There are 46% of Hispanic undocumented students, 27% for Asian students, close to 14% for Black students, and 10% are White. (source: American Immigration Council)
- Every year, about 98,000 undocumented immigrants graduate from public high schools in the United States. However, less than 10% continue to college, and even fewer complete college and earn a degree. (source: Migration Policy Institute)
The top five states with undocumented students in higher education are California (83,000), Texas (59,000), Florida (40,000), New York (30,000), and Illinois (20,000). (source: Higher ED Immigration Portal)
Conclusion
Even though going to college or university as an undocumented student is not easy, it doesn’t make it impossible. We believe as time goes on, there will be more opportunities created not just by different organizations, but also by alumni who graduated from schools in Florida and other states.
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