After cheating death twice and snitching on Zeus, Sisyphus is futilely cursed to roll a boulder up a hill—a boulder that harbors the burdens of Zeus’ wrath, the underworld, and… student loans?
Every year, thousands of New Jersey high school seniors celebrate their hard-earned diplomas, dreaming of the next exciting chapter of their life. But for undocumented students and visa holders, those dreams are met with a harsh reality: no access to federal financial aid. While their classmates apply for grants, loans, and scholarships, many immigrant students are left scrambling to pay hefty out-of-pocket fees or forced to put their education on hold, infinitely pushing the boulder of student debt against the upwards climb of their adult careers. EHS is home to a diverse student population from all over the world, and many Edison Eagles face such frustrations during the college admissions process.
America prides itself on being a cultural melting pot, so why deny so many immigrant students—many of who have lived in Edison for the majority of their lives— the essential right to an education? Despite living in the United States, immigrant students who are contributing to their communities daily are systematically denied access to the financial aid that makes college attainable to their peers. This exclusionary application sticking point is not just an oversight: It is an unjust barrier that perpetuates inequity in higher education.

Some colleges and universities have different policies for getting financial aid. The most common colleges that EHS students apply to, including TCNJ, NJIT, Stevens Institute of Technology, Kean University, and Rutgers, require the FAFSA forms to be filled and submitted.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which includes grants, loans, and work-study opportunities, is only available to U.S. citizens and certain eligible non-citizens, including permanent residents, asylees, and refugees. For many undocumented students, international students, and visa holders, a lack of financial aid means an enormous financial burden that makes higher education seem unattainable. While New Jersey has taken steps to provide in-state tuition or state-funded aid, the vast majority of these students are left without institutional support.
New Jersey requires all high school students to fill out the FAFSA as a graduation requirement, or they must be exempted in accordance with the law. Students with United States citizenship, as well as select “non-US citizens,” are eligible for federal aid. In other words, undocumented students and most international students are unable to apply for federal aid.
Rooted in these restrictions are concerns about citizenship and legal residency. The federal government prioritizes aid for citizens because those residents are seen as the primary contributors to the nation’s economic and social structure. However, this viewpoint oversimplifies the reality of non-citizen students’ lives. Many of these students have spent the majority of their lives in the U.S., attending public schools and serving their communities. Their dreams are reflected among their resident citizens, but they are unfairly alienated from higher education due to their legal status. Denying non-citizens aid solely based on citizenship status overlooks their potential to contribute to America’s American future.
Furthermore, some colleges limit the amount of financial aid they provide for students who are not US citizens. Rutgers University, for example, considers all students on visas “out of state,” requiring them to pay out-of-state tuition despite their length of residency in New Jersey—a nearly $20,000 tuition upcharge for commuters and on-campus students. EHS students who live a 15-minute drive down Route 27 are treated the same as international students. The lack of financial aid for students solely based on their citizenship status creates an arbitrary disadvantage for those seeking higher education. Merit scholarships may exist for such institutions, but they are limited in amount and not substantial enough to relieve the significant financial burden for many students.
For Dreamers—undocumented individuals who migrated to the United States as children—current legislative and political developments pose a significant threat to their education. Approximately 550,000 of these Dreamers rely on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for temporary protection and in-state tuition benefits.
However, a combination of legislative inaction, recent rulings, and the new administration’s outlook on immigration threatens these Dreamers’ access to educational opportunities. According to the American Immigration Council, over 20 versions of the DREAM Act granting Dreamers permanent residency have been introduced since 2001, yet none have passed into law. Such inaction leaves these students in a political and educational limbo, never attaining a clear vision of their future.

Simultaneously, recent rulings, including those from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, have halted new applications for DACA, and state legislation such as Florida’s new Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act threaten in-state tuition for all Dreamers.
On the federal side, Trump’s new executive orders and actions calling for work permit restrictions for unauthorized immigrants—even those with pending applications—and threats to pull federal funding from regions deemed “sanctuary jurisdictions” threaten the future opportunities of Dreamers. By preventing occupational opportunities, we are further increasing the burden on immigrants as,now, their ability to pay back student loans with earned income is hindered.
Similarly, authorized international students are nervous considering the Trump administration’s previous efforts to restrict the Optional Practical Training (OPT) and conservative feuds regarding the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations (most often STEM). The last Trump administration observed record-high H-1B denial rates, threatening international students who hope to transition to H-1B status. This lack of job availability creates another barrier for students, preventing them from paying the loans they accumulate from the lack of federal and state college aid.
These policies have taken the Land of Opportunity, of education and of personal growth, and have built a steep slope of endless regulations and non-inclusive policies, compensating immigrants’ hard work with a five to six-figure bill and a series of NOs. Education has always been seen as a path of upward mobility in the United States, but in the case of immigrants, even in NJ, it has become a steep mountain with a threatening boulder of financial dues. For a first-world country well known for its personal rights and abundant opportunities and pledged liberties, the right to affordable education should be prioritized for all who live in the US.