The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3 - 96

Amanda N. Davidson * Henoc M. Preciado

colleges and universities (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2016). Alabama and
South Carolina are the two sole states in the
country that explicitly prohibit undocumented
students from enrolling at any public college
or university (National Conference of State
Legislatures, 2016).
Despite this context, some states have
implemented legislation to provide pathways
for undocumented students. Currently at least
18 states have implemented policies - either
through state legislation or university system
policy - that make undocumented students eligible to pay in-state tuition rates (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2016). These
states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma, New
Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island,
Texas, Utah, and Washington (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2016). Of these
states, six provide access to financial aid to
eligible undocumented students: California,
Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and
Washington (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2016). In California, as an example,
the passage of Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540)
in 2001 has allowed eligible undocumented
students to pay in-state tuition (Perez Huber
& Malagon, 2006). Eligibility requirements
include attending a California high school for
at least three years and graduating from a California high school (in addition to completing
and submitting the AB 540 Affidavit) (Perez
Huber & Malagon, 2006). With the passage of
AB 130 and AB 131 in 2011 (and implementation of these in January 2012 and January 2013,
respectively), AB 540 undocumented students
gained access to public and private funds to

financially support their higher education
(Resource Guide: Supporting Undocumented
Youth, 2015). AB 130 grants undocumented
students access to state and non-state funded
resources, and AB 131 grants undocumented
students access to state-funded financial aid
funds (i.e. Cal Grants) (Resource Guide: Supporting Undocumented Youth, 2015).

CHALLENGES FACED BY
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS
LIVING ON CAMPUS
The aforementioned challenges faced by undocumented students are not exhaustive, but
provide a foundation by which to ground this
paper with a focus on supporting undocumented students in college and university
student housing. This section overviews some
potential challenges that undocumented students may face while living on campus, to help
higher education professionals understand
how undocumented students may face similar
challenges in campus housing.

Challenges in Building Community
When students opt to live in college and university student housing, they often have minimal
control over the selection of peers with whom
they will live. Whether or not they have selfselected their roommate or floor mates, living
in close proximity to peers who do not share
the undocumented experience can pose challenges in community building. For example,
the need to have other undocumented students
that could provide a friendly ear, support, and
resources may not be easily accessible in the
housing community like at home. Similar to
other underrepresented groups, finding peer
support while living on campus can be challenging. Housing programs may or may not

THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENT HOUSING

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3