42. Provide scholarships and grants regardless of immigration status.

Here’s what the federal government can do:

• Congress should repeal the restrictions on immigrant eligibility for education benefits.
• Congress should enact legislation that provides opportunities for scholarships and grants regardless of immigration status and prohibits denial of financial aid, including Pell and other grants, on the basis of immigration status.
• The Office of Federal Student Aid should ensure that mixed-status families have access to and an understanding of how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in their primary language.

Here’s what state government can do:

• State legislatures should ensure students are eligible for state and institutional aid regardless of their immigration status.
• State legislatures should ensure that state aid applications are available in languages other than English, especially those most spoken in their state.
• State legislatures should launch campaigns to inform students, families, and higher education institutions about scholarships and grants available regardless of immigration status. State legislatures should ensure these campaigns are accessible in languages other than English.
• Higher education coordinating agencies should provide guidance to colleges and universities to ensure that they are offering access to scholarships regardless of immigration status.

Here’s what institutional leaders can do:

• Higher education institutions should ensure that students and their parents and guardians have access to and an understanding of guidance on scholarships and grants, regardless of their immigration status or their primary language.
• Higher education institutions should ensure that information about the immigration status of students, parents, and family members is used and disclosed only for the purpose of administering educational or financial aid programs, or otherwise assisting students.