Supporting Undocumented Students to and Through Postsecondary
Supporting Undocumented Students to and Through Postsecondary
Slide Deck
Supporting Undocumented Students
Resources from EdTrust-Tennessee
Undocumented Student Resource Hub
Undocumented Student Resources
Questions and Answers
Licensure affects a wide range of career fields, including careers in many health care fields like nursing, teaching, engineering, and many more. Other states do not restrict access to licensure, so those states would have greater access for undocumented students for these specific fields.
Here is a tuition and licensure map from the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration: https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/
Bill SB 17 modifies Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; and Title 40 in Tennessee State Code and Chapter 716 of the Public Acts of 2024.
A student classified as ‘dependent’ will require both a student’s and their parent information. Students classified as ‘independent’ only fill out their own information. More information about the FAFSA and determining dependency status can be found here.
A judicial warrant is signed by a judge and an administrative warrant is signed by an immigration officer.
Here are examples of both types of warrants
Here is EdTrust’s guidance on FAFSA for mixed status families.
Special session ended on January 30, 2025.
The ability to utilize the new voucher program is based on whether the student is a citizen or has legal status.
EdTrust-Tennessee does have a day on the but only for members of The Tennessee Alliance for Equity in Education.
Here is NEA guidance for educators around this issue. The Trump administration has rescinded a policy memo that protected schools, churches and hospitals from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) being able to enter. ICE now has the ability to try and enter a school but there are certain protections in place that may limit their ability to. Please use the NEA guidance for more information.
Students who are classified as ‘independent’ do not have to submit parental information under the FAFSA. Other programs, like Tennessee Promise or Tennessee Reconnect, may have certain age restrictions that restrict which students are eligible.
It is true that undocumented students are generally not eligible for professional licensure in Tennessee as of summer 2024, while other states permit undocumented individuals to test for licensure. There are currently no state policies in Tennessee that restrict undocumented students from enrolling in any degree programs in Tennessee. The Presidents’ Alliance on Immigration and Higher Education have compiled a list of states and their policies on professional and occupational licenses for undocumented individuals.
More from the Undocumented Student Resource Hub
Preparing
Are you a high school student wondering what you need to do now to prepare for college?
Paying
What options are available to help undocumented students in Tennessee pay for college?
Supporting
Are you an educator wanting to create an inclusive environment for undocumented students?
Graduating
How can undocumented graduates prepare to confidently enter the workforce?
