Date of Graduation

Summer 8-6-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Organization and Leadership (O&L)

College/School

School of Education

Department/Program

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Seenae Chong

Abstract

The cost of attendance at colleges and universities across the United States has risen exponentially year after year. Among these costs include tuition, lodging, food, textbooks, academic materials, and health care, many of which are considered “basic needs” that are ultimately essential for human survival. At the same time, certain groups of students continue to be marginalized and presented with additional barriers in accessing higher education in equitable ways. Undocumented students are one of these groups of students, and are the focus of this study. Although the passage of DACA in 2012 presented opportunities for approximately 800,000 undocumented students, it has not been a permanent or comprehensive solution in addressing the needs of undocumented communities. This phenomenological study aims to understand how it is that despite the challenges and limitations undocumented students face, they persist and navigate through graduate school. The participants of this study include five currently enrolled graduate students with an undocumented residency status in the United States. All students in this study attend the same institution and are enrolled in full-time programs across 3 academic schools and colleges within the larger institution. The purpose of this study is to examine how the participants meet, or don’t meet, their basic needs (access to housing, food, medical and mental health care, and transportation). In making financial decisions, how do they prioritize their costly expenses without the legal or financial means to cover them? Findings of this study suggest that undocumented students are making dire decisions in order to afford the financial obligations that come with pursuing a graduate degree. Participants shared how challenging it has been to persist at the University, how they try to make ends meet, what aspects within their budgets are easiest to forgo, and which resources they rely on most. Finally, this study highlights some of the ways government officials, higher education administrators, and faculty can support undocumented college students.

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