Who is considered an undocumented student?

An undocumented student is a foreign national who:

(1) Entered the United States without inspection or with fraudulent documents

OR

(2) Entered legally as a non-immigrant but then violated the terms of his or her status and remained in the United States without authorization (as defined by the National Immigration Law Center).

An undocumented immigrant is defined as any foreign-born person who does not have a legal right to remain in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center Links to an external site., roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants reside in the U.S. as of 2016, representing 3.4% of the country's total population. Undocumented students are a subset of this group and face various hardships due to their legal status including obstacles that prevent them from receiving the same educational opportunities as U.S. citizens and legal U.S. residents.

Renton Technical College recognizes the tremendous difficulties undocumented students face when seeking higher education.

There are a number of resources available for undocumented students.

Here you'll find resources available on campus and in the community, resources for students and for Staff & Faculty, as well as a list of frequently asked questions. We will add more information as it becomes available. 

The following undocumented students can qualify for resident tuition:

• Students with current or expired Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. These students must meet other residency requirements.
• Students with this status do not qualify for federal but may be eligible for Washington State government student aid, and can definitely find funding through private scholarships.
• To be considered for Washington State government financial aid, student must fill out the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) Application Links to an external site.. This application is available for students to complete annually on October 1. The annual deadline to complete your WASFA application is January 15th.
• It is very important for students to submit their WASFA application on time to make sure they are considered for financial aid. Failure to submit their WASFA application may disqualify them from receiving funds.

Non-citizens can be considered for resident tuition if they meet one of the following exceptions:

• Any student, regardless of citizenship, who meets the WASFA Links to an external site. requirements.
• Students with one of the following statuses who meet other residency requirements:
  • Permanent resident status
  • Conditional permanent resident status
  • U.S. National status, which includes citizens of:
    • American Samoa and Swains Island
    • Federated States of Micronesia
    • Republic of the Marshall Islands,
    • Republic of Palau 
  • Current or expired DACA status 
  • Refugee status
  • Asylee status
  • Temporary Protected Status
  • Withholding of Removal status
  • U or T visa status
  • E3, H-1B, H4, L1 or L2 visa status
  • Students with a current Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
• People with other visa types or immigration statuses may qualify. Students should speak with their school’s residency officer for more information.

Demographics of Undocumented Immigrants in the United States, 2019

While demographic estimates of undocumented immigrants in the United States are difficult to estimate, the Migration Policy Institute provided the following estimates for the undocumented population living in the country in 2019, based on U.S. Census Bureau data from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS) and the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). The demographic estimates are based on a population estimate of 11,047,000 undocumented immigrants and are the most recent estimates of their kind.

Source:ProCon Links to an external site.