Undocumented/DACAmented Students’ Journey Towards College: Is K-12 Equipped and Prepared to Address Their Needs?

Background: An estimated 100,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools each year (Federis, 2019). Current immigration policies continue to change, leaving many undocumented students with unclear pathways for educational success beyond K-12. Beyond the legal barriers faced, undocumented students also encounter sociocultural influences that shape their educational experiences. A resource as part of that journey is the K-12 school district, which often provides the sole necessary guidance for undocumented students as they consider higher education. Purpose: This study examines the voices and experiences of undocumented college students and College Access Professionals’ (CAPs) as they progressed through the college access journey. The theoretical lenses of Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) and Social Mentality Theory through Compassionate Counseling were used to guide the study design and to identify and interpret themes that surfaced later across the data. Research Questions: The questions that guided this study were; 1) How did undocumented/DACAmented college students make sense of their K-12 college advising experiences? 2) What political and sociocultural factors were at play for the undocumented student and their family during the journey towards higher education? 3) How did college advisors address political and sociocultural factors when advising undocumented students towards higher education? Methods: Seven undocumented undergraduate college students and six CAPs who previously served as college counselors were identified through snowball sampling. With the use of semi-structured interview guides, participants were interviewed with questions aimed to trigger in-depth reflection of the K-12 college counseling experience. Responses were digitally recorded, transcribed, coded, and content analyzed by using Dedoose software to identify themes that surfaced across the data. Findings: Several themes emerged from the findings in which students and CAPs identified varying factors that ultimately impact college trajectories. These factors stem from both political and sociocultural elements which usually are outside of student or CAP direct control. Beyond the continued barriers that documentation status presents, undocumented students continue to persist to and through college by overcoming challenges. One theme that emerged across participants centered on the influence of relationships between students and CAPs when grounded in compassion and empathy. Intentional spaces for community also strengthened undocumented students’ positive outlooks on higher education and increased their confidence in their college access journeys. Participant data also revealed that despite political and sociocultural factors and the need for relationships between undocumented students and CAPs, K-12 organizations should provide the proper knowledge and training needed to equip CAPs with best practices and resources for college advising undocumented students. Conclusion: The findings suggest that experiences of undocumented students and CAPs, as related to the college advising resources and guidance provided, were primarily influenced by relationships and not necessarily the formal tools made available to them. This research contributes knowledge about how K-12 organizations can best develop college access resources for undocumented students.Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Department o