Undocumented + DACA
Undocumented, DACA, mixed-status — your status doesn't lock you out.
The aid forms split four ways depending on your exact status, and the rules change state by state. There is a real path to a funded four-year degree in every state, but the form you fill out, the schools that fund you regardless of status, and the deadlines for the explicitly-for-undocumented scholarships are different from what your friends with citizenship are doing. Here's the map.
FAFSA vs. state alternatives
Which form applies to you.
- DACA recipient. As of the 2024-25 FAFSA, DACA students can submit FAFSA. You are not eligible for the Pell Grant or federal loans, but filing FAFSA generates the SAI (Student Aid Index) that colleges use to calculate their institutional aid. You may also be eligible for state aid depending on the state. File it.
- Undocumented, no DACA. You do not file FAFSA. You file your state's alternative application if your state has one: TASFA (Texas), CADAA (California), NJ Alternative App, NY DREAM Act application, IL Alternative Application, WASFA (Washington), MD Maryland State Financial Aid Application, MA Tuition Equity Application, OR ORSAA, VA tuition equity. About 20 states now have one — immigrantsrising.org keeps the current list.
- Mixed-status family (you're a US citizen, parents are undocumented). You file FAFSA normally as a US citizen. If your parent doesn't have an SSN, the FAFSA accepts 000-00-0000 in the parent SSN field; the form will process. Your aid is not reduced because of your parents' immigration status. Your parents' data is not shared with immigration enforcement — the FAFSA Simplification Act tightened that.
Schools that fund regardless of status
The need-blind, citizenship-neutral list.
A small set of private universities meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for undocumented and DACA students using institutional grants — they replace the federal aid you aren't eligible for, dollar for dollar. The full updated list is at thedream.us/resources and immigrantsrising.org. These are reaches for almost everyone, but if you're a strong applicant they are often cheaper out-of-pocket than your in-state public.
Harvard University
Meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students regardless of citizenship status. Same need-blind policy for undocumented as for US citizens.
Yale University
Need-blind for all applicants regardless of citizenship; meets 100% of need. Undocumented and DACA students receive the same institutional aid as US citizens.
Princeton University
Need-blind for all, citizenship-neutral aid policy. The institutional grant covers what FAFSA can’t for undocumented students.
MIT
Need-blind for all applicants worldwide. Aid awarded without regard to immigration status.
Stanford University
Considers undocumented students under the same need-based aid policy as US citizens. Institutional aid fills the FAFSA gap.
Amherst, Dartmouth, Tufts, Trinity (TX), Loyola Chicago
All publicly commit to meeting full demonstrated need for undocumented and DACA students with institutional grants instead of federal aid.
TheDream.US and Golden Door
The two biggest scholarships explicitly for you.
TheDream.US (thedream.us) is the largest college access program in the country for DACA and undocumented students. Two tracks: the National Scholarship (up to $33K for a bachelor's at a partner college) and the Opportunity Scholarship (for students in states that block in-state tuition for undocumented students). Applications open in October, close late February or early March. Partner-college list at the same site.
Golden Door Scholars (goldendoorscholars.org) funds DACA and undocumented students with strong academics for four-year degrees at partner colleges. Application opens August, closes December. Both are competitive; both are real. Apply to both if you qualify.
The Common App disclosure question
Should you put your status on the application?
The Common App asks for citizenship status. The answer matters for two reasons: (1) most need-blind schools that actually fund undocumented students require you to disclose so the financial aid office can route you to institutional aid instead of federal aid — if you say nothing, the aid system tries to give you federal aid you're not eligible for and the package fails. (2) Eligibility for any federally-funded scholarship (a small subset) requires disclosure; private scholarships do not.
Common App data is protected by FERPA once you enroll, and neither the Common App nor the colleges share data with immigration enforcement under existing rules. If you are anxious about a specific school, call their admissions office and ask their written policy on data sharing — the schools listed above all publish one.
More: FAFSA guide · scholarships · first-gen playbook · net price calculator · community college path · our promise.
Primary sources: thedream.us (TheDream.US National + Opportunity Scholarships), immigrantsrising.org (state aid map + school-by-school policy database), NILC at nilc.org (National Immigration Law Center policy briefs), goldendoorscholars.org. Your high school counselor is free and can co-sign state aid forms.