Barriers vs. bridges: undocumented immigrants' access to post-secondary education in the United States and Canada

There is limited research available on the issue concerning undocumented immigrants’ access to post-secondary education in the Canadian context. This paper addresses this matter by highlighting the pro-access efforts currently being made in Canada and outlining various actions taken in the United States (US), which Canada can also implement. Guided by the human right to education as its theoretical framework, this paper examines the existing barriers to accessing post-secondary education that this particular marginalized group faces in Canada and the US. It assesses the policies that US state governments, US universities, and Canadian universities implemented (or plan to implement) to remove these barriers, thereby allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain formal post-secondary education. Key Words: undocumented immigrants; post-secondary education; human right to education; Canada; United States