In-State Tuition For Undocumented Students

Today’s Show

We started this Live about In-State Tuition by thanking everyone who joined us: whether you were on your way home, at work, or on your lunch break, thank you for being with us!

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Today, along with immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, we were joined by Fidel Campuzano who is the firm administrator of Lincoln-Goldfinch Law. Fidel shared with us his experience as a “dreamer” and as a beneficiary of the DACA program, same as the tuition program he applied for.

Before giving way to Fidel and his story, it is important to emphasize the hard situations that a person must face when born in a place where he or she is undocumented.

Fidel was born in the municipality of Luvianos, Mexico, where he grew up with his six siblings and his parents until they decided to emigrate to the United States due to the economic difficulties they faced.

He was able to attend Reagan High School, where he began to realize that he would not really be able to have a job with decent pay and working conditions unless he had a Social Security Number and a work permit.

He explained that the DACA Program was almost like a birthday present for him, since it was approved one day after his birthday, and how with the help of a lawyer he was able to get his work permit.

DACA Program can improve your migratory status

Fidel’s life changed after he got his work permit: he could see how a range of opportunities for his future opened up in front of his eyes.

He felt closer to the possibility of getting a job related to what he wanted to study and no longer working informally.

He also mentioned that before he finished high school he knew that regardless of his immigration status he would have the possibility of accessing a state university.

This is due to a 2001 law that allows undocumented students to attend state universities through this State Program.

The benefits are enormous: for example, the cost for an international student would be approximately $22,000 USD, while a student whose immigration status is unclear would have to pay around $6,000 USD.

What Are The Requirements For The State Tuition?

The requirements to be a beneficiary of a Tuition from the Estate are the following:

– Must have graduated from a Texas high school or have taken the GED in Texas.
– Must have resided in Texas for at least 3 years prior to graduating from high school.
– A notarized document in which the student agrees to normalize his/her immigration status as soon as possible. This must be sent to all universities to which he/she applies.

Employers often take advantage of employees who are undocumented immigrants by not paying them fair wages or overtime because they are certain that these employees will not report them. Cases like these may qualify for a T Visa. Contact us so we can evaluate your case.

Why Is It Important To Have A Social Security Number?

The purpose of the Social Service number, explained by Kate, is to make sure that you are going to be able to receive a pension.

Every time someone receives a payment, a portion of it goes to the Federal Government so that when the person retires they will receive a monthly payment of around $1,000 USD – this value varies depending on how much money the person has paid into the Social Security system during their lifetime.

This is important for all future plans, including the purchase of a car – you can end up paying an interest rate of 15% or 16% while having a Social Security number would make it possible to pay a 1% interest rate for the purchase of a car.

Kate shared with us that she has always practiced immigration law in her office, however, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she and Fidel decided to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the immigrant community and the resources available in Spanish to help those in need.

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