| I read your post thoroughly and all the replies so far. Advice:
1) There are plenty of merit-based scholarships. Forget about Florida and think about out-of-state universities. Don't aim very high and get into a Tier 2 University where you will be their super-fab superstar. 2) Don't plan on leaving the country or even leaving to do work any time soon. There are full-ride merit-based scholarships and your family just needs to provide you the money for some clothes, some books and an occasional ticket home. You didn't mention options that are breaking the law, but that are likely to have little repercussions for you if you get caught (second hand experiences): 1) Do not on any forms circle anything that would indicate you are a non-US citizen. 2) If there is a form asking if you are a U.S. resident, circle yes. If this ever becomes an issue you can lie that you thought it was for tax purposes (for which you are a resident). 3) Imagine your parents never told you your real story. What are the real world situations in which someone will ask for your birth certificate? There are just a few and one of them is for getting an SSN. 4) Play dumb. With a merit-based scholarship you'll buy yourself years more of time. U.S. degrees in Comp. Sci are highly valued overseas and require little to no paperwork to convert into whatever country's accreditation system. 5) Talk to immigration lawyers, they usually have good ideas. 6) Try to gather information from other illegals. With all the security paranoia it might be harder nowadays, but I bet there is still a somewhat accessible underground that will, for around $15000, be able to procure you an SSN with your name on it. That is all you need, once you have an SSN, you are gold my friend and no one ever needs to know. Don't go for it, but find out if such networks still exist or if everything got so computerized that an SSN is impossible to obtain. 7) Talk to more lawyers. 8) If there is ever a deportation procedure against you, this can be stalled for a loooong time I think with a case like yours. Be prepared to write lots of correspondence with powers that be. Lawyers are good. 9) Accept only under-the-table cash in hands for occasional contracting/coding work. Accept a car or some other good. Sell it later. For cash. You can make enough like this to support yourself while in college. 10) Wait until some legislation gets passed admitting the X million of illegals into the country. Number X will grow over years and eventually a generation will be quietly legalized. This will happen sooner or later. A big one happened in the early 1990s. You might spend the next 20 years waiting for this, but if anything like the DREAM act eventually passes, you're gold and welcome to America. Oh and yes, if things are getting desperate, consider forging a Florida birth certificate if your in-state scholarship documentation requires it. My guess is they have nowhere near enough resources to verify these. If the scholarship requires an SSN, you are fux0red. If there are people upset about me posting this stuff, I'd just like to remind that I hope this still adds signal and that the name of this website is Hacker News. |