Students with DACA or Undocumented Status

“Undocumented” is a term used to define individuals who do not currently hold legal status, either by way of unauthorized entry to the U.S. or overstaying the terms of their authorized period of legal status.

You are able to self-report your status on the Common Application or Coalition on Scoir by selecting your immigration status from a number of options.

Information on an individual’s immigration status is protected by student privacy laws like FERPA. The university does not provide information about the immigration status of our community members unless required by law. Hopkins’ safety and security officers do not request information regarding citizenship nor enforce federal immigration laws without a specific court order.

No. Diversity of all kinds is integral to who we are as a university, and our students come from all 50 states and 80+ countries. We encourage you to share your story with us in your application.

Students with DACA or undocumented status are considered domestic students and are eligible for all Hopkins’ need-based and merit scholarships. No separate application is required to be considered for merit scholarships.

As a DACA or undocumented financial aid recipient, you must reapply for need-based financial aid each year by submitting the CSS Profile and uploading tax documents via IDOC. 

The requested submission date is January 15 each year, and award letters are updated in mid-June each year. 

Student Financial Support will review your family’s most recent financial circumstances to determine your eligibility. Most families receive similar financial aid offers each year, but changes to financial circumstances or the number of family members in college will impact aid eligibility. 

Students with DACA status are able to work on campus if they have a valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Undocumented students who do not hold a valid EAD document are not eligible for employment while on campus, including work-study. If you are not eligible to work on campus, we replace work-study and summer contribution components with institutional aid as part of your financial aid offer.

No. If you lose your DACA status, it would not affect your enrollment. If you no longer have a valid EAD, Student Financial Support will work with you to adjust your financial aid offer accordingly.

We encourage students to continue renewing their status if they are able to do so.

First-generation college students are typically identified as students whose parents, guardians, or other custodial family members have not completed a four-year degree. Please see our first-generation resource page for tips, tools, and student stories.

We recommend you consult with an attorney to evaluate your options for traveling outside of the U.S. DACA recipients are able to travel if granted Advanced Parole. Traveling outside the U.S. without proper documentation and permission could result in being unable to reenter the U.S.

Students come to our Homewood campus in Baltimore, Maryland by train, airplane, or car. If you don’t have government-issued identifications, we recommend consulting with legal counsel to evaluate your options for traveling within the U.S through commercial travel by train or airplane.