Need help paying for college? What US citizens in mixed-status families should consider

Applications for college aid for the 2026-27 academic year are now open. And as detentions and deportations continue to ramp up across the country, the state has announced that the California Dream Act Application will remain available to U.S. citizens in mixed-status families.

The program, which provides state-based financial aid, is normally geared at undocumented students, U visa holders and students with temporary protected status. After the Biden administration revamped the application for federal aid, U.S. citizens in mixed-status families experienced glitches, so the California Student Aid Commission began allowing them to complete the state application to keep them from missing out on financial aid altogether.

Now, with the Trump administration’s mass deportation project in full swing, the commission has opted to continue making the California Dream Act Application available to students who might be wary of sharing their personal information with the federal government.

At a statewide webinar for financial aid practitioners this week, the California Student Aid Commission emphasized that students in mixed-status families should carefully weigh their options before deciding whether to apply for federal or state aid.

Mixed-status families are “looking for a right or wrong answer,” said Catalina Cifuentes, executive director of college and career readiness at the Riverside County Office of Education. “But every family is unique.”

Cifuentes said academic counselors and financial aid hotlines can help families navigate the decision.

Factors to consider

In conversation with students in Riverside County, Cifuentes said, she and her colleagues ask questions about their family members’ immigration status, as well as the students’ educational goals. That’s because forgoing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as FAFSA, means students who are U.S. citizens will lose access to federal work-study programs, loans and the Pell Grant, which helps low-income undergraduates pay for school.

That might be fine for a student who plans to go to a local community college, live at home and use state funding to cover their expenses, Cifuentes said. But for a student who plans to attend a four-year university — particularly out-of-state — skipping the FAFSA could be detrimental.

Still, for some students, the fear brought on by the Trump administration's immigration crackdown outweighs a desire to study at any particular school. Cifuentes said she knows students who have been admitted to “dream schools” far from Riverside, but who have opted to study locally instead. In other mixed-status families, undocumented parents have encouraged their children to take the risk.

The California Student Aid Commission has created a web page for mixed-status families to learn more about their options.

In the end, said Shelveen Ratnam, a spokesperson for the commission, families will have to “make the best decision for themselves.” The webinar’s facilitators encouraged students to start by completing the California Dream Act Application, which can unlock generous state funding and scholarships. Some students, in fact, have been able to graduate debt-free through this support.

If such students later decide they want to complete the FAFSA, the commission can help students convert their application, said Catalina Mistler, chief deputy director of the commission.

Students who aim to enroll in a four-year university have until March 2 to complete their financial aid application.

How to get help

To help students weigh their options, the California Student Aid Commission will host workshops, in person and online.

Students and families can also call the commission with questions about financial aid at (888) CA-GRANT (224-7268), Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.. They can also ask questions by e-mail studentsupport@csac.ca.gov.

One thing students don’t have to worry about for now, Mistler said, is the ongoing federal government shutdown. That hasn’t affected the financial aid application process.