Mission
UC Berkeley’s Undocumented Student Program (USP) — a component of the Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence — provides guidance and support to undocumented undergraduate and graduate students at Berkeley.
USP practices a holistic, multicultural and solution-focused approach that delivers individualized service for each student. The mental health support, academic counseling, legal support, financial aid resources and extensive campus referral network provided by USP helps students develop the unique gifts and talents they each bring to the university, while empowering a sense of belonging. The program’s mission is to support the advancement of undocumented students within higher education and promote pathways for engaged scholarship.
USP is committed to working with community organizations, universities, and partnering to create access and increase retention for undocumented students in higher education.
In addition, USP collaborates with campus partners to create curriculum and training for students, faculty and staff in order to increase institutional support for undocumented students. Our program continues to share and build upon the Berkeley model to support other higher education institutions, implement equitable student support services and strive for a healthier campus climate.
Our History
In 2010, a group of staff and students from the UC Berkeley Immigrant Student Issues Coalition forwarded several recommendations to the Chancellor at the time regarding immigrant students on campus.
A task force was initiated whose goal was to articulate the issues and needs facing undocumented students on campus, and to make recommendations for how to serve this population. Here is the complete set of recommendations which emerged from this task force.
The task force which became the Undocumented Community Council (UCC) in 2018, works to support further research and advocacy with and for undocumented members of the community.
One key recommendation from the initial task force was to create a staff position to work specifically on improving undocumented student transition and access to on-campus resources. In January 2012, the first Undocumented Student Program Coordinator was appointed, thus establishing the Undocumented Student Program. The program was initially housed within the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and is now a part of the larger cluster of Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence (Ce3).
In the fall of 2012, a generous donation made by Elise Haas established the Robert D. Haas Dreamer Resource Center, which was relocated and renamed the Robert D. Haas Undocumented Community Resource Center in February 2020. The Center is a tribute to the courage and ambition of undocumented students at Cal and nationwide, their families, and the dreams of prior generations that are being realized by the extraordinary community of students.
Overtime, USP grew and expanded its services based on undocumented student needs. Services now include academic counseling, programming and community events, mental health support, immigration legal support, professional development support, and financial assistance.