The first national survey of its kind, “In The Shadows of the Ivory Tower: Undocumented Undergraduates and the Liminal State of Immigration Reform” looks at the experiences of the quarter million undocumented college students in the US and highlights the need for reform.  While undocumented students comprise 2% of the nation's college students, the number is expected to increase in the coming years.  This report is a collaboration between Institute for Immigration, Globalization, and Education at UCLA and the UndocuScholars Project.

Takeaways:

• 900 undocumented college students from 55 countries attending colleges in 34 states were examined
• 66% of the those individuals benefit from deferred action from deportation (DACA), which enables the students to receive valid IDs, driver’s licenses, and work permits
• Federal loans are not available, but certain states and institutions do offer various forms of financial aid
• 19 states offer in-state tuition equity to undocumented students, and 9 have specifically restricted in-state tuition access for said students
• 90% of the 900 students surveyed said they would become American citizens if they could
• Some of the most pervasive social issues involved feeling isolated from the campus experience and the absense of a 'safe zone or resource centre' where they can talk to administration

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