Resources for DACA and Undocumented Students
As a Clark student, it’s likely that your identity may intersect with your career choices, extracurricular interests, and future goals. The Career Connections Center is here to help you explore the role your identity may play in your job search and connect you to helpful resources. You can make an appointment with a career adviser to ask questions, build a job or internship search strategy, and learn how to navigate the resources available to you.
Campus Resources
- The International Center at Clark University supports the development and education of undocumented students and students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from admission through graduation.
Employment Rights
- U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services provides a summary of employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant visa classifications and other categories of aliens who are eligible for employment authorization.
- National Immigration Law Center – About DACA and Employment provides answers to frequently asked questions such as “How do I know when my work permit expires?”, “Should I tell my employer if my DACA and work authorization expires?”, “Can my employer ask to see my work permit again?”, and more.
- National Immigration Law Center – Workers’ Rights provides links to information on workers’ rights and safety, worksite immigration enforcement, employment eligibility verification and discrimination, social security numbers and “no-match” letters, E-verify: Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification, and workers’ rights and access to lawful status.
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. These laws protect you against employment discrimination when it involves unfair treatment; harassment by managers, co-workers, or others in your workplace; denial of a reasonable workplace accommodation; and retaliation because you complained about job discrimination or assisted with a job discrimination investigation or lawsuit.
Career Options
- DREAMer-Friendly Companies is a list of companies who either signed a 2020 pro-DACA amicus brief submitted to the Supreme Court of The United States or are TheDream.US Employer Partners.
- 5 Tips to Get Started as an Independent Contractor/Freelancer helps those without work authorization status create employment opportunities.
- Income and Career Options for Undocumented Students is a webinar for campus staff and faculty who want to understand and explore the career, income, and funding options available to undocumented students and alumni who may not have work authorization.
Funding and Scholarships
- Immigrant Rising Scholarships lists scholarships for undergraduate studies that don’t require proof of citizenship or legal permanent residency. This up-to-date list, organized by deadline date, contains local, state, and national scholarships.
- Golden Door Scholars was founded in 2013 to promote economic mobility for undocumented students by partnering with schools to cover tuition, room, and board for a four-year degree. Golden Door Scholars also have access to mentors, internship and job search support, and other professional growth opportunities.
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund awards scholarships that range from $500-$5,000. HSF Scholars have access to a full range of invaluable Scholar Support Services, including career services, mentorship, leadership development, knowledge building, and wellness training. Applicants must be of Hispanic heritage and a U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or DACA recipient.
Suggested Reading
Additional Resources
- Life After College: A Guide for Undocumented Students is a comprehensive guide with information on going to graduate and professional school, getting internships, earning a living, starting a Limited Liability Company (LLC), going abroad, exploring immigration remedies, and emotional health.
- Navigating Graduate School: Resource Guide For Undocumented Students provides Information about applying to and attending graduate or professional school as a student with undocumented status.
- Immigrants Rising empowers undocumented young people to achieve educational and career goals through personal, institutional, and policy transformation. Their website features a Making Money section which shows students how to earn money by building their own businesses and working for themselves regardless of immigration status.
- My Undocumented Life provides up-to-date information and resources for undocumented students, their families, and allies (including educators, counselors, and administrators). They post scholarship opportunities that are open to undocumented students, strategies for navigating the educational system while undocumented, information on how to apply for DACA, key upcoming immigration-related events, news on immigration policies, and more.
Contact Information
Career Connections Center
Office Location
Shaich Family Alumni and Student Engagement Center (ASEC Building)
939 Main St.
Worcester, MA 01610
1-508-793-7258
1-508-421-3752 Fax
Career Lab Hours
The Career Lab offers on-demand reviews of resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles 12 – 4 pm weekdays. Upload your documents, or make an appointment for the Career Lab on Handshake!