Privately funded opportunities like scholarships and fellowships are available to students regardless of immigration status in accordance with the CUNY 2018 Memo by the Office of General Counsel.
While Undocumented Students are eligible for privately funded opportunities in CUNY, many times they still require students to fill out the w-9 (form to report any income paid to you to IRS). People who are ineligible for a Social Security number can apply for an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN), regardless of immigration status. With an ITIN, you can report your earnings to the Internal Revenue Service, open interest-bearing bank accounts with certain banks, and conduct business in the United States. Find out how to apply, renew, and use an ITIN utilizing the tools below:
- Immigrants Rising ITIN Guide
- DREAM.US ITIN Guide
- The Non-Citizen’s Guide to Entrepreneurship - Learn how else an ITIN can benefit you.
College Access Peer Advocate Fellowship
The College Access Peer Advocate Fellowship provides intensive one-on-one support to undocumented and mixed-status students to navigate the college application process. The project aims to institutionalize peer mentorship and advocacy between high school and undergraduate students through high school and CBO partnerships.
The College Access Fellowship has 9 open positions available. 8 undergraduate students will be selected to support high school students with their postsecondary journey. We are looking for one recent graduate, or a graduate student to support supervise, and led the fellowship. See position descriptions below:
We are looking for eight peer advocates!
Duties & Responsibilities
- Provide support to high school students in the college application process
- Facilitate and create presentations for educators, parents, and students
- Provide New York State Dream Act and Scholarship support to undocumented high school students
- Report to the Program Coordinator Fellow for supervision
- Report to site (high school) supervisor for bi-weekly check-ins
- Collect data
Qualifications
- Currently enrolled at John Jay student and will continue to enroll for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024
- Must have personal or professional experience working with immigrant communities
- Strong advocacy skills
- Must be available 10 hours a week, and for bi-weekly team meetings. Date TBD.
- Must be available to attend 2 full days of training - August TBD
- Fellowship ends at the end of May 2024 - TBD
Award
You will receive an award of $8,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year. Application will open Mid-June 2023
Under the general supervision of the Immigrant Student Success Specialist, you will be responsible for supervising and working directly with 8 peer advocates fellows in preparing them to support high school students. The project aims to institutionalize peer mentorship and advocacy between high school and undergraduate students through high school partnerships. It is an expectation that students served through this project will successfully apply and be admitted to colleges regardless of their legal status.
Duties & Responsibilities
Create and lead training for peer advocate fellows to provide college access support to undocumented high school students
Maintain and create partnerships with high schools. This includes meeting with college counselors and educators.
Maintain open communication with the ImSSC specialist on the challenges that the peer advocates and the high school students are facing
Supervise, guide, and mentor undergraduate fellows
Create and facilitate presentations for educators
Coordinate, plan and implement programs for undocumented students with our partner high schools
Qualifications
Planning to attend graduate school or current graduate student
Professional or Personal experience working on college access is a plus
Must have personal or professional experience working with immigrant communities
Strong advocacy, communication, supervision, and team-building skills
Must be available for 15 hours a week, and prepare for all bi-weekly team meetings. Date TBD.
Must be available to create and lead 2 full days of training - TBD
Award
You will receive an award of $14,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year. Application will open mid-June 2023.
Other ImSSC Fellowship Opportunities
Experiential Learning Fellowship
The Experiential Learning Fellowship (E.L.F) goal is to provide all students regardless of immigration status with learning opportunities to obtain the knowledge, and skills for their academic, career, and well-being advancement. Fellows are placed within John Jay departments and external organizations to develop educational-based projects led by the host organization.
E.L.F Offers the Opportunity to:
Connect you with John Jay Departments and External Organizations seeking to host fellows from the Immigrant Student Success Center, and identify positions that best fit your interests and skills.
- Engage in challenging, meaningful work throughout departments at John Jay College, nonprofits, and city government agencies.
Be paired with an experienced mentor for career advice and support in building a professional network.
- You are required to complete an educational project assigned by the host site.
- This initiative will award students an award that will be determined in collaboration with the coordinating site and the nature of the project.
Apply here: Experiential Learning Fellowship Opportunity
Overview of the Dream.US Internship Funding Program
TheDream.US, in partnership with its Partner Colleges, will provide internship funds for Scholars with and without work authorization. These
internships will enable TheDream.US Scholars to:
• Gain and demonstrate skills
• Explore career paths
• Build their networks
• Earn payment for their internship experience
We can help you secure an internship if you don't have one. If you are already completing an unpaid internship, we can help you receive funding for it.
Internship Eligibility
The application will be posted on Parker Dewey, which is an organization dedicated to providing equitable access to professional opportunities.
- Current Dream.US Scholar who is enrolled at a partner college
- Structured as independent contracting – no work authorization required
- Must have SSN or ITIN at the time of application
- Has a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
- Current Dream.US Scholar who is enrolled at a partner college
Hours and Payment
Total payment will be determined prior to the start of the experience based on the estimated hours you and your host organization agree on. The internship does require between 100 hours. These hours can be completed remotely, on-site, or hybrid. Payment will equate to 20/hour.
- The maximum funds a scholar can receive is $2,000
- Internships at or below 99 hours will be paid in 1 payment at completion
- Internships at or above 100 hours will be paid in 2 equal payments
- *Independent contracting, not an hourly wage
Contact us for additional information at imssc.elf@gmail.com
This is a new fellowship in collaboration with the Academic Advisement Center at John Jay College to support new and returning students enrolling for classes. Academic advisors provide students with a breakdown of their courses, but often time students struggle to manage their accounts and enroll because they do not know to use the CUNY First system. Essentially this fellowship aid in supporting the college with enrollment, and for students to receive a more holistic approach to registering for classes with support from their peers.
We are seeking 6 peers to support students with schedule builder, and one peer to support them with social media and graphics.
Peers Responsibilities:
- Attend training
- Provide schedule builder registration support to students previously advised but not yet registered.
- Attend the Advisement Academic Center “registration clinics” for a specified number of hours.
Student Eligibility Requirements
- Must be DREAM.US enrolled student at John Jay College
- Must be in good academic standing (GPA 2.5 or higher)
- Must have a valid SSN or ITIN at the time of applying
Fellowship Award Amount
We will select 6 DREAM.US students, and they will be required to complete 125 hours to receive $2,500.
Application is now close
Program Point of Contact
Denise Vivar, Specialist
dvivar@jjay.cuny.edu
Immigrant Student Success Center
Katherine Munet
kmunet@jjay.cuny.edu
Academic Director, The Academic Advisement Center