Facing the giant: higher education access and financial assistance for undocumented students in Texas

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to examine the experiences of a Hispanic undocumented high school graduate in Texas (USA) that did not attend a higher education institution in spite of her desire to do. Using qualitative research and narrative analysis, the researcher conducted three interview levels with the participant and developed an emplotted narrative that was retrodictive in nature in an attempt to understand how a particular outcome came about. The researcher’s attempt was to identify how the participant’s understanding and interpretation of higher education policies and financial benefits affected her reality as an undocumented student.The struggles and experiences of this student are evident in her narrative. Her story resembles the reality of other undocumented students that graduate from high school in the USA and are unable to navigate the labyrinth of higher education eligibility and financial benefits. Policy-makers, school leaders and educators in general, undocumented students, researchers and immigration specialists may find this information helpful, especially when considering the continuing influx of Hispanic immigrants into the USA, and also the growing impact of the Hispanic population in the USA.