Scholarships for Undocumented Students

Scholarships for undocumented students are not the easiest to find. There are thousands of scholarships and grants available to students every year, yet the majority of these opportunities require applicants to be U.S. citizens, preventing undocumented students from applying. Instead of spending hours going through countless scholarship lists just to get shut down by the “must be U.S. citizen or permanent resident” requirement, you can go through our list of scholarships for undocumented students that we put together just for you.

Many of the scholarships listed below are awarded annually, so if the deadline has passed, be sure to mark your calendar so that you can take apply for those scholarships when the applications open up again. Also, due to the COVID-19 Global Pandemic some deadlines may be extended. Please see the scholarship provider’s website for additional details.

Note: This article provides a basic description for each of the listed scholarships. Please see the scholarship provider’s website for full application and eligibility requirements. This is a list to help you get started, this list does not include all scholarships available for undocumented students.

1. Golden Door Scholarship

Description: Founded in 2013, Golden Door Scholars has awarded scholarships to 360 Dreamers. On top of scholarships, Golden Door Scholars provides recipients with access to mentors, internship and job search assistance, and additional professional development opportunities.

Scholarship Amount: Up to $40,000

Who Can Apply: U.S. high school students, graduates, or GED certificate holders who have DACA, TPS, or can meet additional immigration criteria

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

2. Ascend Educational Fund Scholarship

Description: The Ascend Educational Fund (AEF) helps undocumented high school students in New York City attend college and advance professionally. In addition to the scholarships offered by Ascend Educational Fund, students may benefit from mentorship opportunities provided by the AEF.

Scholarship Amount: $2,500 to $20,000

Who Can Apply: Graduating high school seniors in the five boroughs of New York City who were born outside of the U.S. or have two parents born outside of the U.S.

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

3. Dr. Juan Andrade Jr. Scholarship for Young Hispanic Leaders

Description: To date, the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute has awarded more than $1.3 million in scholarships and internships. The Dr. Juan Andrade Jr. Scholarship for young Hispanic Leaders is the most notable scholarship offered by the organization.

Scholarship Amount: $500 to $1,000

Who Can Apply: High school seniors and undergraduates with at least one parent of Hispanic ancestry

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

4. Esperanza Education Fund Scholarship

Description: The Esperanza Education fund is more than a scholarship. Scholarship recipients also receive mentors to aid them in navigating college, obtaining internships, and building careers. This scholarship is designed to help low-income undocumented students in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia pay for college.

Scholarship Amount: $5,000 to $20,000

Who Can Apply: Graduating high school seniors and recent GED grads residing in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia

To be considered, applicants must (1) be born outside the U.S. or have two parents born outside the U.S.

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

5. The Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program

Description: Focused on assisting promising students with financial need, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has awarded over $200 million in scholarships to students since 2000. Scholarship eligibility is based on the applicant’s year in high school, GPA, SAT or ACT scores, and financial need.

Scholarship Amount: Up to $40,000/year

Who Can Apply: High school seniors

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

6. The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarsh‬ip

Description: The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is one of the largest private scholarships in the country available to students transferring from community colleges or two-year institutions. Eligibility for this scholarship is based on the applicant’s sophomore status, GPA, and financial need.

Scholarship Amount: Up to $40,000/year up to three years

Who Can Apply: Community college or two-year institution students with sophomore status

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

7. Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Description: All majors and graduate fields are eligible to apply for this scholarship; however, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund typically awards scholarships to STEM majors. U.S. Citizens, permanent legal residents, DACA, or Eligible Non-Citizens as defined by FAFSA® are eligible to apply. Applicants must verify GPA and complete the FAFSA or state based financial aid application if applicable.

Scholarship Amount: $500 to $5,000

Who Can Apply: High school, undergraduate, and graduate students who are Hispanic

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

8. Los Hermanos de Stanford Scholarship

Description: Los Hermanos de Stanford is guided by the principles of community service, academic excellence, and cultural awareness. Applicants strong in those areas with financial need are strongly encouraged to apply. Also, interested students are NOT required to attend Stanford University.

Scholarship Amount: $500 to $1,000

Who Can Apply: Latinx students graduating from high school planning to enroll into any two-year or four-year institution of higher learning

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

9. QuestBridge National College Match Program Scholarship

Description: Citizenship is not a barrier for the generous QuestBridge National College Match Program. Students just have to be attending high schools in the U.S. to have a chance to attend a top college for free. The only catch here is that SOME colleges will not consider non-U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents for admission and full scholarships, but that determination will vary from school to school.

Scholarship Amount: Full coverage for four years

Who Can Apply: Graduating high school seniors planning to attend college in the upcoming fall

To see how you rank against previous scholarship recipients and get more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

10. QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program

Description: Similar to the aforementioned QuestBridge program, the QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program does not have citizenship requirements. But these programs are different. This is not a scholarship to attend college after graduating from high school, but a scholarship for high school juniors who want to visit colleges but may not have the funds to afford the trips.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: To be considered, applicants must (1) be high school juniors in the U.S. or living abroad as U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents, and (2) planning to apply to college during the fall of their senior year.

To see how you rank against previous scholarship recipients and get more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

11. TheDream.US National Scholarship

Description: TheDream.US works to help Dreamers get to college and graduate from college. TheDream.US offers two scholarships. Here are some details about TheDream.US National Scholarship.

Scholarship Amount: Up to $14,500 (Associate’s) and Up to $29,000 (Bachelor’s)

Who Can Apply: Dreamers who are high school and Dreamers who graduated from community college

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

12. TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship

Description: As mentioned in the scholarship above, TheDream.US works to help Dreamers get to college and graduate from college. This TheDream.US scholarship is for Dreamers who are blocked out in certain states.

Scholarship Amount: Up to $20,000/year

Who Can Apply: DREAMer high school graduates who live in states that do not offer in-state tuition to Dreamers – or states that prevent Dreamers from attending state colleges and universities

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

13. SHPE Foundation Scholarships

Description: The SHPE Foundation knows that the main barrier preventing Hispanic students from completing a bachelor’s degree is financial need. To fulfill that need, SHPE offers scholarships to Hispanic students pursuing degrees in STEM.

Scholarship Amount: Varies

Who Can Apply: High school seniors, undergraduate students, graduate students, and students pursuing or professionals pursuing technical certificates or graduate-level professional education

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.

14. Chicana Latina Foundation Scholarship

Description: The Chicana Latina Foundation (CLF) has awarded scholarships to over 370 Latina college students. CLF scholarships are offered to Chicana and/or Latina students who have lived for at least two years in specific counties in Northern California and plan to attend an accredited college, university, or community college in one of those counties.

Scholarship Amount: $1,500

Who Can Apply: Undergraduate and graduate students who identify as Chicana and/or Latina

For more information on this scholarship, please visit the scholarship website.