Giants Dreams: Undocumented Students in Higher Education

Abstract

Through the collection of the life stories, this research explores the college application process of two undocumented students in Nashville, Tennessee in order to examine ways in which teachers and college counselors can positively impact the educational attainment of this population. The paper first explores the complex financial and social incentives for increasing the educational attainment of undocumented students on both personal and public levels. It then introduces Laura and Amanda, two undocumented students who have successfully completed the college application process and enrolled in postsecondary institutions. The paper compares their experiences with other case studies found in the literature and finds implications for practitioners working with undocumented kids and concludes with a call to political action.