SUNY Schenectady Support Services
Available to all registered students:
Career & Transfer Services - The Career and Transfer Services Office is ready to help you with any of your career or transfer needs, whether you prefer virtual or in person services.
Counseling Services & Mental Health Support - Mental health and physical health are two sides of the same coin, and each affects the other. Asking for help with one's mental health is no different than seeking medical treatment for a physical ailment; it's a sign of inner strength, self-awareness, and an expression that one wants to feel better.
Food Pantry - Any SUNY Schenectady student who is registered for the current semester and who has a SUNY Schenectady ID card can place an order with the Food Pantry up to three times each month when classes are in session.
Community Resource Guide: Please visit this resource guide to learn more about local organizations and the supports they offer. Contact each organization directly for the most up-to-date information about their services and offerings.
Paying for College
Financial Aid Considerations
NYS Dream Act - gives students who received their high school degree or GED in New York State and students receiving in-state tuition, including undocumented students, access to New York State‐administered student financial aid to support their higher education costs.
NYS Alternate Eligibility Path (Guidance for Mixed Status Families) - an alternate path for students to apply for state-funded financial aid, ensuring a secure, accessible, and equitable process that protects the privacy of personal information while providing support to those in need.
Federal Student Aid Eligibility for Non-U.S. Citizens - Review eligibility guidelines to determine if you qualify for aid as an eligible non-U.S. citizen.
Office of Financial Aid: Please visit or contact SUNY Schenectady's Office of Financial Aid for case-specific guidance.
Office: Elston Hall, Welcome Center
Phone: 518-381-1468
email: financialaid@sunysccc.edu
New York State Office for New Americans
The New York State Office for New Americans (ONA) was created in 2012 to welcome immigrants and to help them in achieving their American Dream.
Through its statewide network of community-based providers, ONA assists all new Americans in accessing and navigating a variety of free services and supports their inclusion as an integral part of New York State’s diverse cultural fabric.
Health and Family Services Resources
1. Find a Health Care Center
2. Get Health Insurance
3. Get Health Related Support
4. Find Mental Health Support
5. Find Addiction Services and Supports
6. Find Family Support through Community Action Agencies
7. Find Help with New York Family Law and Family Court Matters
8. Kinship Navigator
New Americans Hotline @ 1-800-566-7636
Legal Help
1. Answers to immigration & naturalization questions
2. Referrals to free legal help and programs
In Your Community
1. Information about nearby Opportunity Centers
2. Report fraud or scams against immigrant communities
200+ Languages
1. Calls are confidential & anonymous
2. Monday-Friday 9AM to 8PM (ET)
Local Organizations
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany - Provides immigration-related legal services for low-income clients. Services include consultation, counseling, and preparation of petitions and applications for, among other benefits, lawful permanent residency and U.S. citizenship. It also assists individuals who are victims of human trafficking.
Legal Hand - Trained community Volunteers, who are not lawyers, provide free information, assistance, and referrals to help people resolve issues that affect their lives, in the area like employment, housing, family, immigration, domestic violence, and benefits, and try to prevent problems from turning into legal actions.
Albany Regional Immigration Assistance Center - Provides advice and support to immigrants and their loved ones in the following areas:
Immigration application.
Know Your Rights
Immigration helpline at 1 (833) 373-2677.
Resources for SUNY Schenectady Employees
Immigration Officials on Campus
"Educational Resources for Immigrants, Refugees, Asylees and other New Americans" (US Department of Education): This webpage includes resources pertaining to primary, secondary, and postsecondary education
"Education and Title VI" (US Department of Education): This page provides an overview of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants
A comprehensive guide, Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants, is a practical information to help you settle into everyday life in the United States. It also contains basic civics information that introduces you to the U.S. system of government. You can download free copies (via pop up window) in 14 languages, including but not limited to:
Hein Online
An online database with a number of historical and current documents on immigration law and policy in the U.S. There are more than 1.5 million pages of immigration-related content to help research the following topics:
Visit Hein's Immigration Law and Policy in the U.S. website.
Immigration and Asylum Law: A Beginner's Guide
While for years immigration has been a much-debated political topic, several issues have caused a increase in press attention, including recent possible changes in interpretation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and considerations regarding providing a more permanent, legally-protected status External for immigrants from certain countries, among others. Issues like these have made immigration a “hot” topic for legal researchers as well. The study of immigration law and policy can be very complicated, however, and can derail researchers not familiar with the executive agencies involved or the vocabulary they may use.
USCIS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is the federal agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States.
1. Main website: USCIS
2. Learn about Temporary Protected status at the USCIS Temporary Protected Status website.
3. Learn about student visitor services at the USCIS Student and Exchange Visitor Services website.
4. Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
5. Green Card Processes and Procedures
ICE
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the federal agency that oversees criminal investigations and enforces immigration laws.
1. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
2. Resources:
- Locate detainees who are in ICE custody: Online Detainee Locator System (ICE)
- Raise Questions and Concerns to ICE ERO
USA.GOV
USA.Gov Immigration and U.S. Citizenship Page
An empowerment campaign to prepare for and safely defend our rights during encounters with Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Resources on what to do if you are an immigrant stopped by law enforcement agents.
This LibGuide is under development; please send any suggestions or feedback to Reference Librarian: Mrs. Farah Douglas: farah.douglas@sunysccc.edu
Special thanks to Catia Laird de Polanco, SUNY Schenectady's Chief Diversity Officer for her partnership and efforts in building this LibGuide.