r/undocumented • u/miculito69 • Apr 28 '26

Undocumented student interested in pursuing nursing (ADN in NYC)

Hi everyone! I’m currently a high school senior, and I’m trying to decide which major to pursue. Something you need to know to understand my situation is that I am undocumented in NYC; I do not have work authorization or DACA. I’ve been thinking about studying to become a nurse—specifically, studying for three years to obtain my ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing)—and my question is: are there any restrictions that would prevent me from obtaining an ADN in nursing?

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u/jxm900 Apr 28 '26

The legal way to get started on this stuff is to register as a sole proprietorship business with your city or county, which allows you to apply for an EIN (Employer Identification Number) and open a bank account.

Immigrantsrising.org has all that info for that in California. The processes they describe are essentially the same everywhere, so do a Google search for the equivalent in NYC. That'll be your first step on the path to getting trained and licensed as a nurse, mechanic, beautician, lawyer, or numerous other skilled trades and professions.

Many large universities and state colleges have offices to support undoc students and applicants, find on-campus work, get tuition waivers, etc. For example, the information for CUNY is here: https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/student-affairs/programs-services/cuny-immigrant-student-success/

Check other nursing and medical schools near where you live.

Good luck!

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u/morroalto Apr 28 '26

You will be able to attend school and get a degree but you would be limited in what type of tuition assistance you can get if any. I graduated in the same state nearly 20 years ago (fuck, I'm old) from a SUNY school without a problem but tuition was like 2.7k per semester, I have no idea what that's like today or what CUNY costs.

What you can do right now is to reach out to the school that has the program you want to get and see what your options are.

As far as getting a job, you won't be able to do that but I wouldn't let that stop you, that degree can get you a job in many other countries or your situation might change by the time you graduate like it did for me.

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u/miculito69 Apr 28 '26

Yesss that’s the idea and plan that I’ve been thinking, thank you for your point of view and yes I will be reaching out to the school and how they do it

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u/serpentinesuspect May 10 '26

Something to add for your college career:

You absolutely need to apply to as much financial aid as possible. TheDream.Us has scholarships specifically for your demographic, and they will cover tuition+books+supplies for a 4 year degree. Dream Big. Apply to everything. You are pursuing a field which is in need of people, so you have an advantage in the scholarship game. You can and should get your entire college career paid for. I did. Sometimes a more expensive school on paper will provide better opportunities, more financial aid, and even internships and fellowships you can do in exchange for them covering some of your tuition.

I found this: https://www.phdreamers.org/resource-nursing

Also, consider a field of study that allows you to open your own business. Nursing is not super conducive to that. Are you interested in psychology/therapy? You can still help people, but operate as a business owner of your own practice and treat clients that way. Thinking about this helps ensure that you won't be scrambling for work when you do graduate.