Abstract
Every year, nearly 25,000 undocumented students graduate from high school in California; the majority of these students do not go to college, even though most have access to in-state tuition rates and state-based financial aid. This dissertation examines the initial impact of the Dream Builders Program, a college access program for undocumented students in the Sacramento region. The goal was to understand how educators and institutions can increase access to college among undocumented students. The study draws on community cultural wealth and transformative leadership and on literature related to immigration-status-related barriers, existing forms of support, and K-16 college access programs. Using a mixed-methods approach, interviews with 16 program participants were collected, as well as pre and post-surveys for 31 participants. The analysis of data revealed that the Dream Builders Program is making a positive initial impact on undocumented students, parents, educators/practitioners, and program interns. Furthermore, Dream Builders is helping undocumented students navigate the transition from high school to college successfully. Thus, partnerships between colleges and universities and local high schools are effective in promoting access to higher education among undocumented students in California. Additionally, findings led to the creation of an integrated framework that incorporates community cultural wealth, transformative leadership, and college access programs for undocumented students. This study brings attention to the inequitable access to college among undocumented students and offers a blueprint for implementing access programs/initiatives for this population.