Undocumented Students

Western Connecticut State University is an institution for all students and values excellence, engagement, and opportunity.

In-state tuition for undocumented students living in Connecticut

In 2011, the Connecticut General Assembly approved a law that allows undocumented students residing in Connecticut to pay in-state tuition at Connecticut’s public colleges and universities. In 2015, the legislature also reduced the requirement for Connecticut high school attendance from four years to two years. To be eligible for in-state tuition at a state institution, students must:

Be a resident of Connecticut
Have attended at least two years of high school in Connecticut
Have graduated (or received high school diploma equivalency) from a Connecticut high school or is enrolled at a public institution of higher education in this state.

Institutional Financial Aid

On April 27, 2018, the Connecticut General Assembly, with the support of Governor Malloy, enacted a new state law that allows undocumented students to apply for institutional financial aid. These students must meet certain age, residency, and criminal history requirements along with an affidavit with the institution they are attending about their intent to legalize their immigration status when they are eligible to do so. This does not apply to non-immigrant visa holders.

Undocumented students may apply for consideration of institutional aid. To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria:

Classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes;
Thirty years of age or younger on June 15, 2012;
Sixteen years of age or younger when they arrived in the United States and have continuously resided in the United States since such arrival; and
Have not been convicted of a felony in this state or another state.

Deadline to submit is March 1 – students can still submit the application after the deadline pending availability of funding.

2026-2027 Disponible en Español 2025-2026 Disponible en Español

TO SUBMIT THE AACTUS: Please submit all documents for processing using the WCSU Financial Aid Document Upload page, a secure website.

Instructions:

In a browser, go to WCSU Financial Aid Document Upload (Hyland OnBase)
Complete the student information
Complete the sender information – you can include a message, if needed
Attach documents
Click submit

For information/questions, please contact our office at 203-837-8580.

Other Financial Aid

At this time, undocumented students do not qualify for state or federal financial aid funding.

Financing Opportunities at Western

Students may apply for Foundation Scholarship opportunities with the Office of Institutional Advancement. To be considered for a Foundation Scholarship, including merit and talent based awards, students must complete the Scholarship Application online. Applicants must either be enrolled or have applied through the Admissions Office to attend WCSU for consideration.

We encourage you to search for scholarship opportunities from additional resources. Many organizations do not have restrictions based on citizenship or legal status.

Students may also consider Payment Plan options offered through the Cashier’s Office to assist in meeting their educational expenses.

Some Private Loan Options:

Ascent Student Loans – available to DACA students with a co-signer.
College Ave Student Loans – available to non-US Citizens with a valid SSN (including DACA students) with a co-signer who is a US Citizen with a valid SSN.
FUNDINGU – DACA students with a work-eligible SSN are eligible
Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan – available to non-US Citizens (including DACA students) who reside in and attend school in the US. Apply online and select the “non-citizen” status. Students will need to submit proper documentation to prove citizenship/identity. This can include a foreign passport, a student visa, an alien identification card, or an employment authorization card. Students must meet current credit and other eligibility criteria. All documentation must be unexpired at the time of the application, government-issued, and include a photograph.

Please see the university website for Undocumented Student Support Services for more information.

Updated: 11/20/2025