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NEW REPORT: MORE THAN 450,000 UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS ENROLLED IN COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES IN UNITED STATES

By immigrationprof

PA-NAE

Today, Today, New American Economy (NAE) and Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration released a groundbreaking new report, Undocumented Students in Higher Education: How Many Students are in U.S. Colleges and Universities and Who Are They?, showing for the first time how many undocumented students are enrolled at colleges and universities across the United States. As the COVID-19 pandemic underscores severe shortages in healthcare sectors across the country, this report shows that undocumented students are a crucial part of the pipeline towards filling that gap. Indeed, 39% of undocumented graduate students already hold a bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field. Already, 280,000 undocumented immigrants, including 62,000 DACA-eligible individuals, are serving on the front lines of the Coronavirus crisis as healthcare workers, according to NAE’s analysis. In addition, with the Supreme Court decision on DACA expected to come as early as this month, the report highlights the significant number of DACA-eligible individuals enrolled in higher education.

Among the report’s top findings are:

  • More than 450,000 (approximately 2% of all students) undocumented students are enrolled in higher education;
  • 87% of DACA-eligible students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, and 13% of DACA-eligible students are enrolled in graduate-level programs;
  • 216,0000 of these individuals hold or are eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA);
  • The top five states with undocumented students in higher education are California (92,000), Texas (66,000), Florida (42,000), New York (33,000), and Illinois (21,000);
  • 82% of undocumented students are enrolled in public institutions while 18% attend private postsecondary institutions;
  • 90% of undocumented students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, and 10% percent of students are enrolled in graduate-level programs; and
  • Undocumented students are a diverse population in higher education, with Hispanic students accounting for 46% of undocumented students, compared to 25% for Asian students, and 15% for Black students.

You can view the full report here.  Undocumented Students in Higher Education: How Many Students are in U.S. Colleges and Universities, and Who Are They?

Press Release.

For a story on the report in Inside Higher Ed, click here.

KJ

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