Undocumented students are not privy to federal aid dollars for higher education. The University of the People is free, but end of course exams cost $100 each.

NPR reports:

The Online College That’s Helping Undocumented Students

Federal law does not prohibit undocumented students from enrolling in college, but it does something nearly as effective, banning them from receiving government aid. In recent years, though, some undocumented students have stumbled upon a little-known, nonprofit online university that doesn’t charge tuition and doesn’t care about students’ legal status.

University of the People certainly got the attention of Miguel Angel Cruz. The 27-year-old entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico a decade ago. He settled near Tampa, Fla., where he now shares a small trailer with his father. Cruz learned English and earned his GED. But his dream of going to college was just that — a dream — because of the high cost. Then, he started searching online.

“I was Googling, not for free but for cheaper universities, and I found the University of the People,” Cruz says.

He had never heard of the school but had nothing to lose, except the $50 nonrefundable admission fee he paid to enroll in the school’s business administration course. A similar course at the University of South Florida, near his home, would have cost close to $1,100.