Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Other Information

Admissions Information

• Are undocumented students considered international or domestic?: Undocumented students go through the domestic admission process. An affidavit is required (not for admission) to ensure that undocumented students are assessed the domestic tuition rate. This form can be accessed at www.siue.edu/undocumented. Students are encouraged to submit this completed form with their admission documents. SIUE offers in-state tuition to all domestic undergraduate students including undocumented students. The tuition rate assessed for the first semester is locked in for four years. Fees also include basic textbooks as SIUE offers a textbook rental system. Cost of attendance is available at www.siue.edu/payingforcollege.
• Are you need-blind for undocumented students?: All admission decisions for domestic students including undocumented are based solely on academic criteria (i.e. cumulative GPA). No finances are requested, reviewed, or considered.
• Are there any restrictions on merit aid for undocumented students at your school?: Undocumented students can be considered for all merit based awards offered by Undergraduate Admissions. Visit www.siue.edu/scholarships for more specific information on scholarships. Scholarships currently are available for fall entry only. December 1 is the priority deadline for freshmen and March 1 for transfer students.
• Does your school provide merit aid specially for undocumented students?: No, but undocumented students can be considered for all merit based awards offered by Undergraduate Admissions.
• How would their status affect their application?: Undocumented students go through the same admission process as domestic students. The only additional item that needs to be submitted is the affidavit as described above. This simply is to ensure they receive the domestic tuition rate and this can be received post admission, but we recommend submitting it with admission documents.
• Is there a special contact point for undocumented students?: Our entire team serves undocumented students, so I encourage visiting our website at www.siue.edu/undergraduate/counselor/index.shtml to determine the admission counselor for the student’s school as that is the individual that they will work closely with through the enrollment process. Direct contact information for all team members is included on our website.
• What other piece of advice would you give an undocumented student hoping for admission at your school?: Reach out to us early and often with any questions that you have. We are here for you and more than happy to help in any way possible. We are part of your support system! Our admission application for fall launches June 1 (i.e. June 1, 2021 for fall 2022), so this gives you the summer prior to your senior year to apply. For transfer students, the application goes live one year prior to the start of the semester. Apply early to ensure scholarship consideration. Our application is available online at www.siue.edu/apply. Utilize our website designed especially for undocumented students at www.siue.edu/undocumented as this is a great resource.
• Other admissions information: Students must answer on the admission application whether they are a U.S. citizen. We do recommend specifying undocumented as that helps us know what additional items (if any) are required. For example, students that are permanent residents must provide a copy of their permanent residency card for admission. This would not apply to undocumented students, so communicating the student’s status will ensure we do not add this as a required item to their admission checklist.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

• Are undocumented students eligible for need-based aid?: Students living in Illinois can complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. This allows undocumented students to be reviewed for the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant. Visit www.siue.edu/undocumented (bottom of the page).
• If need-based aid is not available, is there a feasible path undocumented students can take to pay for their education with stackable merit scholarships, loans and/or grants from your school?: As noted in the Admissions section, undocumented students can be considered for all merit based awards offered by Undergraduate Admissions. More details are available at www.siue.edu/scholarships. At the bottom of this website, there are resources that can be utilized to find additional internal and external awards.
• What would be the requirements for such scholarships and what would a student's chances of getting them?: The website (www.siue.edu/scholarships) is the best resource to reference in case any requirements change from year to year. If students meet the criteria for the Cougar Pride and Johnetta Haley Scholarships, this will be awarded at the time of admission. The Meridian Scholarship (freshmen only) is very competitive and requires a holistic review. For fall 2021, we had close to 1,200 applicants for this award. 210 were invited to interview and 20 scholarships were awarded.
• Other financial aid information: The form noted above is what students must submit if they reside in Illinois.

Student Life

• Are there organized groups or clubs comprised of or advocating for undocumented students in your school?: The Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion (CSDI) is a key resource on our campus and serves as a tremendous advocate for students. CSDI offers a variety of events and programming throughout the academic year. More information can be found on their website at www.siue.edu/csdi/.
• How often does your office receive applications from undocumented students?: We received applications for undocumented students every year.
• Does your school allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers onto campus without a warrant?: ICE officers are allowed on campus, but we would need a valid warrant to provide any information.
• Does the campus police enforce immigration law?: No. Campus Police serve to provide a safe community for all individuals on campus.
• Does your school share student immigration status with ICE?: SIUE provides SEVP, through SEVIS, with updated information on students with an F or J visa.
• Does your school provide distance-learning options for deported students to complete their degrees?: SIUE offers online degree completion programs for any student that meets the admission requirements. This is a new initiative and only four programs are offered in this format at this time. However, we hope to grow to include additional programs. Details on online degree completion is available at www.siue.edu/academics/bachelors-degree-completion/.
• Does your school provide confidential legal support to students with immigration law questions and issues?: No. We would recommend an external resource.