Conference at Sonoma State aims to help undocumented students

Now that school has started, high school seniors will begin to turn their attention to college applications. Unable to qualify for federal financial aid, many students were brought to the U.S. illegally as children will be left out of the process. But Sonoma County college officials are trying to change that, urging more undocumented students to pursue higher education.

A conference will be held Saturday at Sonoma State University to let undocumented students know about the services and financial aid available to them for college. Considered the first of its kind in Sonoma County, the so-called Dreamers: Issues, Challenges and Successes Conference is focused on boosting the number of undocumented immigrants that apply to colleges next fall.

“College application season is about to begin. We’re trying to reach out to them, so they know how to navigate that process,” said Mariana G. Martinez, the advisor for the newly formed SSU DREAMers Club, which is helping put on the conference.

They’ll be holding student panels and workshops on admissions, financial aid and immigration during the free event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at SSU’s Student Center and The Cooperage room. Professors and other community members also will have the chance to learn more about the difficulties these students have not only getting to college but obtaining a degree, and how to be an ally, said Martinez, also a Chicano Studies lecturer and research coordinator for the McNair Scholars Program at SSU.

Roughly 65,000 undocumented students nationwide graduate from high school each year, but immigration experts say fewer than 10 percent make it to college.

Part of the problem is fear, Martinez said. Although many have received temporary deportation reprieve and work permits through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, she said many students worry they’ll be treated unfairly by professors, counselors and other college officials because of their legal status. They also worry about exposing family members who may not qualified for DACA, she said.

This past school year, Martinez said 178 students identified themselves as undocumented while applying for financial aid through the California Dream Act. “There could be more but we do not know,” she said.

While the university and Santa Rosa Junior College provide much support to their undocumented student populations, Martinez said not all institutions around the country do so. Santa Rosa Junior College opened earlier this year the Dream Center, a one-stop service center for undocumented students.

Although fear is a deterrent, the biggest challenge for students is money, said Rafael Vázquez, who works with undocumented immigrants as an outreach specialist at SRJC. While those students do qualify for aid through the California Dream Act, he said it’s often not enough.

One of his students previously transferred to San Jose State University to study political science but - despite taking a year off to save money and receiving some financial aid - had to take on a job as a pizza deliveryman and a bouncer at a bar to pay for school.

“He was working until 12, 1 or up to 2 in the morning,” Vázquez said. “When do you have time to do your homework?”

Added Vázquez, “It becomes a huge challenge for students to take care of their expenses. So a lot of students end up dropping out.”

Griselda Madrigal had to skip a four-year university after graduating from Healdsburg High School in 2011 because she couldn’t afford it. She went to SRJC, where she had to continue to work at a clothing store and apply to scholarships to pay tuition.

“It’s hard to apply for so many scholarships and keep up with work,” said Madrigal, who’s now studying at SSU, where she’ll graduate from next year with a bachelor’s degree in Chicano Studies.

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.