Undocumented but Not Uninspired
Undocumented students have to pay for school themselves, because, in order to receive financial aid, one must have a social security number. However, there are some scholarships that do not require the recipient to provide a social security number. Theoretically, without a green card, undocumented students can't even make the money they need in order to pay for their education, but we all know that's not true. If undocumented people could not get jobs here, they would not be here. The problem for undocumented students is not getting into school or paying for it, the problem is that after going through all of that, no one will hire us.
Undocumented students, like me, can get jobs, but they are usually jobs that others do not want. For example, my parents are in the cleaning business, and thanks to this they are able to afford my tuition. Jazmin Morales, a junior at Northeastern Illinois University, works in the restaurant industry and pays for tuition herself. Ernesto Malchor also gets help from his parents in order to stay in school. All three of us are at NEIU to receive an education so we can get the jobs we want. Although, I greatly appreciate my parents' work, and have no trouble cleaning someone else's home to help out my parents, I don't want to clean toilets all my life. Morales does not want to stay in the restaurant industry and Ernesto does not want his cognitive abilities to go to waste.
I started fourth grade in the United States. However, there are students that have been here their whole lives. Morales,, for example, came here when she was four and Malchor came when he was one. Both of their academic careers started in the U.S. Thinking long and hard about it, I have decided that as soon as I graduate I will leave the United States and go back to my homeland. I know there isn't much of a chance for me to find a job in this country suitable for my education level. Morales has also thought about going back to her country of origin, although her goal is to find a job in social work in this country. Malchor has also thought "about going to optometry school in Mexico and return to the USA by applying for a worker's visa… Spain or anywhere else overseas"
Illinois recently passed a section of the DREAM Act, which allows private funds to be awarded to an undocumented student, which is kind of pointless, except for the symbolic value. I, like many other undocumented students, have received merit based scholarships or private scholarships that pay for some of my tuition. When I asked Morales about it she said, "They are helping us pay for school, but what will happen after that? I don't see the point in them helping to pay for school and then after you graduate you can't even work in your field. Basically we're going to stay the same." Malchor is "hoping to take advantage of the DREAM Act" but he does not have much information about it.
Life would be easier for the three of us, and other undocumented students, if we received financial aid. Morales might not have to work as hard as she does and I could aspire to go to grad school without having to worry about paying for it. I am grateful for a school like NEIU. I am receiving a quality education at an affordable price. However, going to college is not worth it if at the end of it all, if after working so hard for a degree, we will not be allowed to work in our chosen field.
For me, being an undocumented student has been a blessing in disguise. I won't have to pay any student loans after graduating. Although I would have loved to go out of state for college, I am being forced to save a lot of money by living at home, which has also strengthened my relationship with my parents. Also, I know that even if I cannot find work in the US there are doors open to me elsewhere in the world.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent neiuindependent News Articles
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST NEIUINDEPENDENT NEWS
RECENT NEIUINDEPENDENT CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
- Stroke & Dementia in Black Men: Tips for Staying Healthy...
- Hispanics and African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye...
- African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye Disease
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
- Your Child’s Tomorrow Begins Today
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
- Young Author Translates 4,000-Year-Old Text to Reveal...
- Keeping Cool and Energy-efficient Amid America’s “...
- Addressing Sarcopenia with a Healthy Diet
- Subway’s New Wraps Elevate Eating on the Go
- Family Teacher Conference Topics Beyond Academics
- Youth Take Down Tobacco
- BookTrib’s Bites: Four Reads to Kickoff Spring
- Curbing Colorectal Cancer in Minority Populations
- Taking Action to Take Down Tobacco
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK
- BLUMHOUSE AND AMC THEATRES LAUNCH FIRST-EVER HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN FILM FESTIVAL
- THE GEN Z IMPERATIVE: LISTEN TO FEELINGS AND GIVE GEN Z A VOICE