Plyler V. Doe Case Analysis

It is estimated that 65,000 undocumented students graduate from High School each year, and out of these students, only less than 10 percent attend a higher education (Ibarra & Sherman, 2012). Under the Supreme Court Decision known as Plyler v. Doe, undocumented young immigrants are entitled to receive free education from Kindergarten to secondary institutions (Yates, 2004). However, as young undocumented immigrants transition from high school to college, the challenges that come with being illegal begins. Prior to 2001, college institutions classified undocumented students as international students even if they have lived in California a majority of lives (Abrego, 2008). Undocumented students were required to pay out of state tuition of approximately

three to seven times more the amount that U.S residents were entitled to pay (Abrego, 2008). Undocumented students from low-income backgrounds were the most affected and often saw pursuing a higher education as something out of reach to obtain (Abrego, 2008). One of the biggest challenges was that undocumented students were also not able to participate in paid internships due to the lack of a social security card or identification card (Gonzales et.al., 2014). The absence of proper legal documents limited undocumented students from acquiring hands-on experience and skills to advance their careers (Gonzales et.al, 2014).