It’s a rule every college student knows: If you can’t afford something, apply for a scholarship, grant or loan to help you out.
These financial options are available to every Oregon student — almost.
Hugo Nicolas is a model of a hard working college student. He’s an economics major, an ASUO senator. He was a board member on the Department Finance Committee and he’s involved in an array of student groups that help give a stronger voice to minority groups.
“Hugo’s already self-motivated,” ASUO External Vice President Greg Mills said. “Everyone that’s met him has seen his strong work ethic. He’s always looking for new opportunities.”
Despite all of this, Nicolas still doesn’t qualify for most of the financial aid he’s applied for because he’s an undocumented student.
“I can’t fill out the FASFA because I’m an undocumented student, and the majority of scholarships require a form of documented identification as well,” Nicolas said. “The only real option for most undocumented students is to pay out of pocket, but undocumented students don’t have the money to do that.”
Nicolas came to the United States from Veracruz, Mexico with his family when he was 11 years old. Upon arrival, he didn’t speak a word of English. To address the language barrier, he enrolled in the English as a Second Language program while attending school. By the time high school rolled around, he was fluent and involved in multiple student extracurriculars including student government and junior ROTC. In addition, he was a commissioner for human rights in Salem and a city youth counselor.
Come time for college applications, all of Nicolas’ hard work took a back seat to the fact that he’s undocumented. Without citizenship paperwork, Nicolas would have to pay over $40,000 annually as an international student. With his mom in between jobs and his father working as a production metal sprayer, Nicolas’ dreams of going to college seemed impossible.
“It was really disappointing to know that college for me was going to be so expensive,” Nicholas said. “I still wanted to go to college though, so I went to Chemeketa Community College for my first year.”
While he was there, Nicolas worked three jobs to pay for his education. It was during his first year at Chemeketa that House Bill 2787, legislation offering undocumented students resident tuition to all Oregon University System schools, was approved in Salem.
Determined, Nicolas decided to transfer to the University of Oregon. During the process a donor offered to pay for his tuition for the first year.
Since he no longer has to work to pay for school, Nicolas instead focuses his efforts on helping others. As an ASUO senator and a student involved in outreach programs, Nicolas wants to make the road to success for undocumented students smoother than the one he had to traverse.
“There’s only 25 undocumented students in the OUS, and of those 25, 10 to 15 are at the UO. Having to pay for college by yourself is hard for people like me,” Nicolas said. “I want to help my brother and sister get the same opportunities I’ve been given, too.”