Some Interesting Data
Woven throughout these numbers, for the few who care to drill down on their political analysis, are implicitly many of the reasons for the stunning level of support for Presidential candidate Trump. The affluent liberal media and think tank elites of both coasts seem to have completely missed the multiple emotional connections, the angst that is evident in the America they simply fly over.
Median Age: Hispanic, 28 … Black, 33 … Asian, 36 … White 43. For Hispanics born in the USA, median age is 19, slightly less than half of the foreign-born median of 41 (Pew Hispanic Research). The big growth rate for whites is in those over 65 years of age. Of Hispanics under 18, over two-thirds are Mexican. By 2055, Asian immigration will exceed that of Hispanics, who at present are 70% of illegal immigrants. Millennials and younger among Hispanics are 58% of that population, versus 39% for the white population.
2065E Population: White, 46% … Hispanic, 24% … Asian, 14% … Black, 13%. For approximately every two-parent household, there will be a single-parent household.
2050E Population: 58% workers, 23% kids, 19% elderly. In 2005, the numbers were 63%, 25%, and 12%.
Kindergartners: 53% White, 25% Hispanic, 13% Black, and 9% Other.
Mothers: 54% have a college degree, up from 41% in 1990. The median age for first marriage is 26 (women) and 28 (men), five years later than a generation earlier. The pursuit of higher education and greater opportunities in the workplace are the driving factors for delayed marriages (and motherhood).
Teenage Birth Rate: In 1991, the rate was 61.8 per 1,000 female teenagers; by 2014, the rate had dropped to 24.2 per 1,000. In New Jersey, the recent white rate was 4.8; the black rate, 27.4, and the Hispanic rate, 31.3.
Life Expectancy for the demographic with the greatest longevity: non-Hispanic white women, 81.1 years; non-Hispanic white men, 76.5, both of which declined slightly in 2014. In 1960, the overall expectancy was 69.7, and it rose consistently for fifty years, so any reversal is of interest. Black life expectancy is 75.6 years, compared with 79.0 years for whites; this gap (Pew) is the “smallest in history.” Fewer suicides and homicides, plus reduced fatality rates from cancer and AIDS, are cited as the reasons for the improvement.
Suicide Rates: In the 21st century, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, every age group except those 75 or older (who already had the highest rate) has demonstrated an increased desire to end their life prematurely. This is true of both men and women, albeit the latter is from a much smaller base than that of men.
Religion: Within fifty years, Christians and Muslims will each have about 30% of worldwide population, reflecting significant growth in the ranks of Muslims.
Income: Both high and low sectors are growing; the middle class, historically the engine behind growth in living standards for Americans, will continue to decline.
Undocumented Students
Many undocumented/first generation/minority students come from countries which have highly structured national education systems. In contrast, the American system can fairly be labeled as chaotic. There are significantly different – and confusing — roles with respect to funding and accountability at the federal, state, and local school district levels.
Specifically with respect to the topic of this FAQ, regardless of the amount of website information on all matters educational, there is insufficient guidance at many high schools concerning undocumented students and what they can expect if and when they apply to college.
Clarity is especially important because there are three distinct, but interrelated, pieces of the puzzle: access – does the college accept undocumented students; rate – what tuition cost category is relevant to the student; and financial aid – what is available.
Below is an attempt to address this informational and analytical shortcoming.
Readers are invited to provide suggestions on how the FAQ can be improved.
(Q) Isn’t there a legal restriction on K-12 schools asking students about documentation?
(A) Yes, they cannot do so. However, in no way should this hinder a school from providing information to students who self-identify as undocumented; the role of the school, particularly the guidance counseling department, is to assist all students in pursuing their educational goals.
(Q) When should undocumented students become aware of the college process?
(A) Ninth grade is the starting point for the academic record that is presented to a college; all students, irrespective of status, should be thinking ahead at this age level.
(Q) Access to College: If I am undocumented, can I apply to any school?
(A) Yes.
(Q) Will they ask if I am undocumented?
(A) This may sound like splitting a hair, but they should not ask directly.
(Q) But they ask for a social security number, don’t they?
(A) Yes. You can leave it blank, or, if you have DACA, you can put in that social security number. If blank, the school may insert your student ID number.
(Q) What happens then?
(A) You may or may not be accepted, but that decision by the college is, on the surface anyway, based on a whole set of relatively understandable factors (high school GPA, standardized test results, personal essay, etc.) and not connected to documentation. That is the theory; in practice, if a school discerns the prospective student’s lack of documentation, it may assume financial difficulties in attending the school, so why bother accepting said student.
(Q) Are colleges becoming more or less accommodating?
(A) Enrollment at many colleges has declined, leading some of them to react with policies that can include flexibility on the issue of documentation (e.g. charging an “international fee” but not classifying the student as international).
(Q) Tuition Rate: OK, what if I am accepted?
(A) If you are attending a public college, you need to know whether legislation says that the tuition rate for undocumented students must be the same as that for resident students (this is the case in New Jersey and New York, among other states). Note there is typically a geographical residency requirement—you must live in the state for a stipulated period of time to get the lower resident rate.
(Q) What if I am attending a private college?
(A) In a direct sense, documentation is not a factor; however, see the aid comment below.
(Q) Are there other wrinkles in the rate area?
(A) Yes, you should be careful not to be considered an “international” student, because the rate for that category is much higher.
(Q) In terms of college, what is unique about having the DACA designation?
(A) You may be required to sign an affidavit stating that you intend to become a legal resident; since this is something you devoutly wish to happen, this is easy to sign. Besides, it is necessary to get the resident tuition rate.
(Q) Financial aid: what can I get?
(A) The biggest negative is that you are not eligible for FAFSA-based aid: the Pell Grant and related federal loans.
(Q) What about scholarships from the colleges?
(A) Public colleges are restricted, but sometimes can find monies funders have provided specifically for the support of undocumented students. Private schools frequently offer quite sizable scholarships. All other things being equal, this would cause a rush of undocumented students to these colleges. However, the absence of conventional financial aid (see above) means that the required money from the student is often still too large to be affordable.
(Q) Is there outside money available to help undocumented students get further education?
(A) Increasingly the answer is yes. Different foundations (e.g., TheDreamUS Scholarship) and individuals (e.g., Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook) have come to the conclusion that our economy and society need more educated individuals and it is silly to have barriers that prevent undocumented students from getting their degrees, pursuing their careers, and contributing to their new home country.
(Q) What is the most favorable state for undocumented students?
(A) Interestingly, it is California, which passed its own version of a DREAM Act (AB540) in 2010, covering both rate and aid, access not being an issue. This is the same state that in 1994 passed anti-immigrant legislation, Proposition 187. Changed attitudes are possible!
(Q) Has DACA helped indirectly?
(A) Yes, with a stamped social security card (work authorization) students can obtain higher-paying jobs than those available in the underground/shadow economy. So they are better able to offset the absence of conventional financial aid.
(Q) General: Can I contact the college I am interested in and ask about their policies?
(A) Good luck. Colleges are notorious for slow or non-existent responses to telephone calls and e-mails alike. To add insult to injury, if the student does connect with a college representative, frequently the latter does not know his own school’s policies.
(Q) Are there other suggestions for the prospective undocumented college student?
(A) Because colleges, in my experience, can do almost anything they want to do, if you receive a “no” in making a request of a college official, then go ask a different official. If you receive a “yes,” get it confirmed, preferably from another person at the same school. When errors are made by the college representative, it is the student who suffers; the staffer’s life is unaffected.
(Q) What would be the impact if DAPA is upheld?
(A) With undocumented parents protected by DAPA from deportation, their resident children would be better able to focus on education.