TCC is here to help - HB 1079 / Undocumented Students

Laws have not yet changed and you can still attend TCC. Your financial aid funding has not changed either.

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 Yes, prospective students can apply to TCC regardless of their immigration status. There’s no federal or state law that prohibits undocumented students from admission to public or private universities in Washington state. All prospective students will be reviewed under the same admissions criteria regardless of status.

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House Bill 1079 allows eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. Under Washington state law, students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents may qualify for in-state tuition if they meet certain guidelines.

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Students may qualify to pay in-state tuition rates if they received a diploma or its equivalent from a Washington high school, lived in Washington for at least three calendar years prior graduation and have continuously resided in Washington state since graduation. If you do not have a high school diploma, you can earn one at TCC. Please read about our HS+ program.

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Complete the Tacoma Community College application, not the international student application. Enter either a social security number, work authorization number or a tax ID number (SSN) if you have one. Do not enter your DACA number. Make sure you list the U.S. as your country of permanent residence. When asked about your current or expected visa or immigration status, check the “other” box. You may also have to submit the Washington Higher Education Residency Affidavit at the time of admission. The affidavit is a confidential statement verifying that the student qualifies to pay resident tuition and that he/she will seek legal permanent residency of the United States when eligible to apply.

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Undocumented students don’t qualify for student aid from the federal government. However, Washington's Real Hope Act has expanded eligibility for the Washington State Need Grant to low-income, non-citizen students who meet the program’s eligibility requirements.

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Additional information about financial aid resources for undocumented students is available at the WASFA website.

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The Tacoma Community House offers services, classes and references to help our undocumented population with citizenship and immigration issues. Other resources recommended by the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges:

• Immigrant Legal Resource Center
• United We Dream
• Informed Immigrant
• National Immigration Law Center
• My Undocumented Life
• NW Immigrant Rights Project: DACA
• Signed Letter of Support by Washington State's Colleges and Universities (pdf)
• Are DACA and Undocumented the Same? How to Support Undocumented TCC Students (pdf)

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