Undocumented college students already have a hard road to get through college. Just 5 to 10 percent of the 65,000 undocumented students who graduate from high school continue on to college. Out of that group, just 1 to 3 percent earn a diploma, according to the United We Dream Network. In some ways, they’re like lots of students who have to juggle money concerns and family pressures.
But the obstacles are often compounded for students without legal status. They aren’t eligible for federal Pell grants, for example, and the fear of being deported adds another layer of stress.
Meet a student in Missouri who is fighting to get his education, and how he’s trying to overcome the odds.