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Unaccompanied Students

Recently, there has been an increase in students immigrating during their later years of high school – often between the ages of 16-18 years old – without their family. The resources below may help unaccompanied students understand their educational rights and learn more about available educational and mental health resources.

Rights of Unaccompanied Students

According to the California Department of Education and current California law reflecting Plyler v. Doe, California schools MUST enroll all school-aged children who reside in California regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. During the enrollment process, local educational agencies may NOT inquire about nor require documents pertaining to or disclosing an enrollee’s immigration status.

Once an unaccompanied student is enrolled in school, he or she is entitled to the same educational services, treatment, and opportunities as any other enrolled student. 

For more information regarding the rights of unaccompanied students, please refer to the following resources.

General Resources for Unaccompanied Students