Undocumented at Stanford Resources

• Stanford CareerEd prepares students and recent alumni to pursue and secure fulfilling careers. Stanford Career Education understands that the undocumented student community faces a unique set of challenges in their career journeys and is committed to providing individualized strategies to ensure students are able to overcome these challenges.
  • Coaching - Any undocumented students seeking career support may make a coaching appointment. In addition to coaching, CareerEd's resources include one-unit courses that explore different careers, career fairs, practice interviews on campus, and one-on-one advising sessions for internships and careers. If you have any questions for Stanford Career Education, use this link to ask them anonymously.
• Vice Provost for Graduate Education - For graduate students specifically, the Vice Provost for Graduate Education acknowledges that the undocumented graduate student community at Stanford experiences unique adversities in the career planning process. The VPGE offers a variety of professional development workshops and funding opportunities to help undocumented and DACAmented students in their planning process for post-graduate life. To get a preview of the career resources VPGE offers, visit their GradGrow tool here.

• Handshake - Students with DACA and work authorization are welcome and encouraged to apply for any on-campus job opportunities. Please check out Stanford’s Handshake page for on-campus employment opportunities.
• Funding Opportunities - While undocumented students without DACA or work authorization are not permitted to work on-campus jobs at Stanford, this does not restrict students from all funding opportunities. More information about funding opportunities can be found under the Funding and Finances accordion on this page.
  • Note - Should there be an issue with being denied access to a position as a DACAmented student or a funding opportunity as an undocumented student, please reach out to the Diversity and Access Office.

The following resources are not affiliated with Stanford, but are meant to provide additional support either while away from campus or to have additional guidance to navigate your time at Stanford.

• Immigrants Rising strives to embrace and nurture undocumented youths’ multi-dimensional and intersectional identities by providing legal services, financial support, resources to develop leadership skills, and mental health resources.
• Dreams Fellows SF are paired with local immigrant-serving organizations and gain hands-on experience as a part of this paid San-Francisco based leadership and professional development program.
• PhDreamers (Pre-Health Dreamers) is a network of health career bound undocumented students and offers resources and information on career pathways, graduate level education, internships and job opportunities as well as doing advocacy work around institutional change.
• My Undocumented Life is an online platform filled with resources for undocumented high school, college, and graduate students, their families, and allies posting scholarship opportunities, strategies for navigating the educational system, information on how to apply for DACA, news on immigration policies and more.
• Undocumented Employees' Rights in California a nonprofit legal services organization, consists of free clinics and helplines, free legal information, policy advocacy, and litigation as their main strategies to enforce and strengthen workers’ rights.
• UndocuBlack has local chapters in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and New York and a network of currently and formerly undocumented Black people that strive to develop leadership skills, work around advocacy and local organizing, and provides mental wellness resources.
• UndocuProfessionals offers networking events, workshops, a mentorship program, conferences, and more all as a part of their mission to support undocumented professionals in achieving their career goals. 

This website is your go-to hub for navigating the many mental health and well-being resources for Stanford students. Whether you are seeking advice to establish your self-care routine, looking for ways to manage stress or mental health symptoms, tips to help a friend, someone supportive to talk to, or anything in between, you are not alone. 

Access Mental Health Resources at Stanford

• Parents of Stanford DACAmented/Undocumented Students. Your child has an abundance of support and opportunities awaiting them here, and we hope you take comfort in knowing that Stanford is taking leaps to ensure all spaces on our campus are welcome for all. Two websites to that have general Information include this one for current undergraduate students' families  and this one for prospective undergraduate students’ families.
• Spouses and Children of Stanford Students. If you are the spouse, domestic partner, or child of a Stanford student and you identify as undocumented or DACAmented, Stanford resources are limited and may be dependent on your spouse/partner/parent’s status. For insight on these particularities, please have the Stanford student email us so that we can connect with you or check out this useful website where you can locate nonprofit immigrant advocacy organizations by zip code.
• Mixed-Status Families. If you as a Stanford student are not directly undocumented or DACAmented, but come from a mixed-status family where your siblings or parents fall under this category, unfortunately resources are limited as to what Stanford can provide. However, please email us and we can try to connect you with resources.
• Traveling. Traveling can be confusing and there are many details to think about. We encourage you to tap into external resources such as Immigrant Rising’s Traveling as a DACAmented or Undocumented Person in California or Guide for Traveling in the US.
• Housing and Dining. Residential Education supports undergraduates, and the Graduate Life Officesupports graduate and professional students living in campus housing.
• Families Visiting Stanford. The Opportunity Fund, run by the First-Generation and/or Low-Income Student Success Center, offers financial support for parents’ flights (both domestic and international) to come visit their children on-campus for major campus events (i.e: graduation ceremonies). 

During a time of heightened anxiety and concern in light of events in Israel and Gaza, we are committed to providing for the safety and well-being of the campus community. 

Access the Stanford Report Story 

• DACAmented Undocumented Legal Info Session, Sept 2020 - Undocumented and DACAmented Student Information Session (Sept. 16, 2020) featuring the Stanford Law School's Immigrants' Rights Clinic, the Dean of Students Office, and El Centro Chicano y Latino. This webinar featured the latest information relating to the constantly evolving legal landscape of DACA, its challenges, its defenses, and thoughts about what may lay ahead. There will also be a review of the resources available to undocumented students at Stanford.
• Orientation Welcome Webinar For the Undocu Community - This webinar will provide information on resources, support systems and a chance to ask current undergraduates and graduate students questions on their experience at Stanford. Sponsored by the Undocumented Orientation Committee.
• Stanford University Resources for DACAmented/Undocumented Students - This video is a zoom recording for students at Stanford University to learn about resources available to the DACAmented/Undocumented community. For more information see: undocumented.stanford.edu

• Undergraduate Students
  • The Opportunity Fund, run by the First-Generation and/or Low-Income Student Success Center, offers emergency financial assistance for events such as emergency travel, documentation/citizenship fees, and medical/dental expenses to undergraduate and select graduate students who are eligible.
  • Learn how aid works for more support.
• Graduate Students
  • Emergency Grant-in-Aid Funds are provided to assist students with financial emergencies and unanticipated expenses, such as personal emergencies. Graduate students are encouraged to apply for the Grant-in-Aid funds before applying for the Opportunity Fund.
  • Graduate Student Aid Fund was established to help students with financial hardships paying University Health Service fees, such as the Campus Health Service Fee and Cardinal Care overcome those hurdles.
  • Learn about financial considerations for additional support.

• Cardinal Quarter - Provides full-time, funded public service experiences linking academic learning with field work. Spend a summer or quarter on an issue with a partner organization. With over 500 opportunities from 30+ campus partners annually, find a match using this search index.
• UAR Grants - Fund undergraduates from all disciplines for independent research, requiring detailed proposals tailored to different projects like conference grants and senior synthesis. The application process information guides next steps.
  • Major Grant offers summer funding for declared undergraduates, especially juniors, interested in leading full-time, student-driven immersive projects. The website includes FAQs and the grant proposal process.
  • Small Grants provide funding for current undergraduate students to pursue smaller, typically student-driven projects.
  • Chappell Lougee provides funding for full-time immersive projects in the humanities, creative arts, and social sciences during the summer after your sophomore year. This grant is for sophomores only. 
• Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE) Community-Based Research - Provides funding for students who establish a partnership of faculty and community members, and collaboratively engage in research with the purpose of solving a pressing community problem or effecting social change, full-time during the summer. While priority is given to Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CSRE) majors, the application is open to all.
• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program - Provides summer funding for any undergraduate interested in engineering research to do full-time work over the summer and is managed through the School of Engineering. Admission requirements are dependent on specific departments.

Additionally, if you have declared a major, consult with your department for department-specific opportunities. If you need assistance as to who to contact or how to discuss your background, email For Dreamers.

• Stanford Federal Credit Union - They will work with you to allow you to open a free student checking account with free worldwide ATM access. There is a branch location on campus (in Tresidder Memorial Union) and multiple ATMs throughout campus
  • NEW! SFCU will give you the opportunity to establish U.S. credit history without a social security number.
  • SFCU also offers trainings, workshops and more information to help you understand finances and funding.
• These private student loan options provide students financing without a cosigner or any credit history
  • MPower Financing
  • Prodigy Finance
• Mind Over Money - An opportunity on campus to learn skills about financial literacy for Stanford and beyond. They have resources for the DACAmented and undocumented community at Stanford.