Learning, Compliance, and Psychological Burdens When Undocumented Immigrants Claim In-State Tuition Policy

In the United States, some states allow undocumented immigrants to benefit from in-state resident tuition policy at public colleges and universities, a benefit aimed at improving accessibility to higher education. Yet, undocumented immigrants face bureaucratic procedures and requirements that may discourage them from applying and delay or hamper their access to higher education. Building upon administrative burdens scholarship and using quantitative data from the examination of college application forms and surveys administered to undocumented immigrants, this article explores requirements representing learning, compliance, and psychological costs when this group applies for college. Findings suggest that variations in requirements may reflect states’ political leanings, patterns of immigration, alternate social constructions, and organizational factors. Undocumented immigrants’ perceptions show that factors associated with SSN, citizenship, residency, notarized affidavits, and lack of clear information and guidance from college websites and personnel substantially increase burdens when these individuals seek in-state tuition benefits. This study contributes to higher education scholarship by highlighting how bureaucratic procedures and administrative discretion can help achieve or prevent the attainment of policy goals.