Undocumented Students

Housatonic Community College is now CT State Housatonic!

The CT State admissions application is now open for Fall 2023 Enrollment.

All continuing, degree-seeking students are now CT State students as of July 1, 2023.

Undocumented Students

Housatonic Community College welcomes students from all over Connecticut and encourages all students to apply for admission regardless of their citizenship status. This includes students who may have recently learned of their status during the college admission process. We do not take into consideration an applicant’s citizenship or immigration status.

Please note that The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records. This means that information you provide to us to process is private and protected under the law.

Application process for Undocumented Students

The application process does not vary based upon citizenship and/or immigration status. All applicants must submit an HCC application, official transcripts, and ACT/SAT test scores. Any applicant, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, whose native language is not English in most cases, will be required to take the ESL placement assessment. While many applications ask for a Social Security Number (SSN), there is no legal obligation on the part of colleges to require students to provide it. To apply click here: HCC Admissions Application

In-State Tuition for CT Undocumented Students

In 2011, the Connecticut General Assembly approved a law which offers undocumented students residing in Connecticut in-state tuition benefits at the state’s public institutions of higher education. The law was then expanded in 2015, reducing the requirement for Connecticut high school attendance from four years to two under HB 6844.

To be eligible for in-state tuition at a state institution, students must be a resident of Connecticut, have attended at least two years of high school in Connecticut, and have graduated (or received the equivalent of a high school diploma) from a Connecticut high school. The Admissions office may contact you regarding your application.

Financial Aid for Undocumented Students

At this time, undocumented students do not qualify for CT state grants, scholarships or federal financial aid. However, starting in the 2019-2020 academic year, undocumented students may apply for institutional aid consideration toward the Spring 2020 semester. To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria:

Classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes;
Thirty years of age or younger on June 15, 2012;
Sixteen years of age or younger when they arrived in the United States and have continuously resided in the United States since such arrival; and
Have not been convicted of a felony in this state or another state.

Institutional financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need and fund availability. In order to be considered for institutional financial aid, undocumented students must meet these additional eligibility requirements:

Must be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes;
Must be accepted into a degree or eligible certificate program;
Must be meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy at the attending institution;
Must meet any priority deadlines or requirements published by the attending institution related to the receipt of institutional financial aid.

Click here to download the 2023-2024 Aid Application for CT Undocumented Students in English

Institutional Aid for Undocumented Veterans

Undocumented Veterans may be eligible for institutional financial aid beginning with the Fall 2018 semester. To be eligible, veteran students must meet the following criteria:

Honorably discharged veteran of the US Armed Forces;
Thirty years of age or younger on June 15, 2012;
Fifteen years of age or younger when they arrived in the United States and have continuously resided in the United States since such arrival; and
Have not been convicted of a felony in this state or another state.

Scholarship Opportunities from Private Sources

Students are encouraged to seek scholarship opportunities from private sources. Below are links to some helpful resources:

What is DACA?

On June 15, 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced that certain undocumented people who came to the United States as children and meet several key requirements (see criteria below) may request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal. DACA is not a path to permanent residency, and an individual must apply to renew his or her DACA status every two years.

External Resources

The Supreme Court of the United States has decided NOT to take on the #DACA case this term. This means if you are a DACA recipient you can continue to renew your work permit as of now.