Essay Sample on Higher Education and Immigrant Students

When the word opportunity comes up for many individuals’ minds, they might see it as an endless number of dreams and possibilities. When individuals seek higher education, they might see themselves as high potential people. There is nothing that would be able to stop the dream someone’s mind has set in place from them achieving. However, what if there was a policy that made it very difficult for some people to achieve that college dream. A place that someone has called their home for years realizes that their home is not as eventful as they thought. There are several policies in place that put several individuals in a complicated position on achieving the college dream. 

There have been several advances as time as passed that illegal individuals are slowly becoming able to attend college. In the very beginning it was made very difficult for immigrants to gain any sort of higher educational access without certain requirements. Policies have been put into place to help generate diversity for individuals deprived of education. Higher education puts a strain on the number of opportunities available for their lifestyle. Immigrants if given the opportunity stated above must meet certain requirements to be placed in any sort of university. 

One of the main sources for individuals to have any sort of difficulty of achieving a higher education is their status in the United States. Preferable if you can get a green card you are put into a higher category to be placed in college. However, the chances of these individuals being able to get a green card in time to enroll has a lengthy wait time of seven to thirty-three months just for the application process. The application process is even longer if everyone is trying to pursue for a family preference green card which can take up to one to ten years. With that in mind for induvial to be able to wait in line to possibly be accepted in time to enter college seems nearly impossible. If these individuals are solely placed on those circumstances they are put into a higher disadvantage. 

Something else that is not brought any attention to whenever these individuals are attempting to succeed is their lack of the English language. Any individual who is not from here and has only known a certain lavage their whole life is difficult. Many of the immigrants that enter this country to gain higher education are children who must teach themselves how to understand and read English. These types of students must undergo extensive amount of additional help from peers and staff members. This can be extremely difficult for pressure that is being held on these individuals’ shoulders to alter their lifestyle and language. Immigrants are already in a venerable state with the difficulty of moving, learning a new language, and having to keep up with other class individuals. School is an opportunity for them to better themselves and their futures. For many of these people education to them is not something that is taken lightly. These immigrants must fight twice as hard to make sure they are aware of all new educational requires and keep ahead of their game. Opportunities like this are not taken lightly which is why they usually appreciate every moment they receive. 

Third reasoning behind the difficult procedure for immigrants to be enrolled in college just like any other college student is finances. Every student should be able to agree that college tuition can become unbearable and often at times lead you more towards not getting a degree. If college tuition was not so expensive many induvial would be more welcome to9 entering universities and pursuing a higher educational degree. This is just as difficult if not even more difficult for immigrant families to provide any sort of fiancés. Many of the individuals take the jobs they get simply for the fact that they are not allowed to be working elsewhere. These individual families work extremely hard under extreme circumstances to provide a living for their families. Unfortunately, any sort of degree is seen as a waste of time and a waste of money that would never work out. However, there have been several new opportunities made for immigrants to be granted more scholarships to attend college based on ethnicity, diversity, and educational advances. However, unfortunately with all the scholarships made available to them there are still more backsets to achieving their American college dream. If society can make more advances that just publicizing “diversity” changes might be made. 

The statement to this problem all lies underneath the fact that so many individuals are more occupied on protecting an image for their country, rather than wanting to change it. Unfortunately, so many immigrants are lacked the possibilities to reach any higher than their high school career. In the article “From illegals to Dream’s” there is a statement that they also cited that says “Being undocumented and a high school graduate in America to often means coming to an end, not the beginning, of an educational journey (Perez 2012). The unfortunate reality is that many immigrants come to the United State for a place of “freedom” and opportunity, but soon find out their dreams are limited, simply due to the fact they were born miles away in another location. Sadly, according to one study out of the 65,000 immigrants who graduate high school each year, only 5-10% of them enroll in a college or university (National Forum on higher education for the Public Good 2012b). Many individuals are stripped away of their right to pursue a higher education to only better themselves. These individuals are just like anyone else trying to pursue that “American Dream”.