Undocumented Student Support

llinois State University embraces diversity as a core value and welcomes all students, regardless of citizenship status.

Undocumented students, with or without Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), are supported equally. This page connects students to food, housing scholarships, legal resources, and campus support programs. If you need additional support, contact us.

Know Your Rights

At Illinois State University, we are committed to supporting undocumented students by providing access to information, resources, and services in a safe and inclusive environment. Whether you’re navigating your immigration status, facing uncertainty, or just seeking clarity, it’s important to know your rights—both on campus and beyond.

Below, you’ll find links to trusted guides and organizations that can help you better understand your rights, including protections during interactions with law enforcement, workplace and housing rights, and access to education.

• Immigrants Rising

  This resource hub guides undocumented individuals—especially DACA recipients—through navigating life with or without DACA status. It supports their financial, legal, educational, and emotional well-being as they plan for different immigration scenarios.

• Know Your Rights (ACLU)

  This website provides a clear overview of legal rights during interactions with law enforcement. It outlines what individuals can and cannot do when stopped, questioned, searched, or arrested, and offers guidance on how to safely assert those rights.

• United We Dream

  This resource equips undocumented individuals and immigrant communities with critical information about their rights during encounters with immigration enforcement or police.

• The Immigration Project

  The Immigration Project is a nonprofit legal organization that provides affordable immigration legal services to individuals and families in Central Illinois.

• Undocumented Students College Guide Summary

  A comprehensive resource designed to support undocumented and DACA students planning to attend college—plus their families and supporters—as they navigate admissions, financial aid, legal issues, and academic planning.

Financial and Food Assistance

Undocumented students, including DACA recipients, are not eligible for federal financial aid (e.g., FAFSA, Pell Grants). However, state aid, institutional scholarships, and basic needs resources are available.

• Student Navigators

  A peer-led, basic-needs crisis response initiative under the Dean of Students Office designed to connect Illinois State students in economic hardship (food insecurity, housing instability, tech or school supply needs) with immediate and ongoing resource support.

• Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid

  If you’re an undocumented student, you’re not eligible for federal aid and shouldn’t complete the FAFSA. However, if you live in Illinois, you can apply for state assistance by submitting an Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid if you qualify.

• The Lopez and Navarro Scholarship

  The Lopez and Navarro Scholarship is intended to provide financial assistance to support undocumented and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students in their dream of receiving a college degree.

• School Street Food Pantry

  Located inside Normal First United Methodist Church, just north of Milner Library on the Illinois State University campus, the School Street Food Pantry provides free food and essential supplies to currently enrolled Illinois State University students who are experiencing food insecurity.