Build campus-wide capacity to support undocumented and immigrant students.
BRIDGE is the first national certification that trains entire campus departments together, so support never depends on which office door a student walks through.
Support shouldn't depend on which door a student walks through
First-generation, undocumented, and immigrant students seek help across every part of campus. Yet that support is uneven, and the people they turn to each day aren't always current on fast-changing law. BRIDGE closes that gap with one shared, expert-vetted foundation.
There can be variations in support even within the same school system.
Most departments refer students to the first-gen center even when the student needs help with something specific, like financial aid or career planning.
The people interacting with students day to day aren't always up to date on the latest policies, and there's a real risk of unintentional misguidance.
BRIDGE, by the numbers
BRIDGE has grown from a single pilot into a national pathway, and the numbers climb with every cohort.
Reach to date
What certified educators report
Self-reported outcomes measured against a pre-program survey.
The BRIDGE pathway
Every step moves practitioners from understanding to lasting change on campus.
Expertly curated foundation
Specialized knowledge from across the field, in one accessible certification. A shared language that ends inconsistent guidance.
Support for each role
Every department learns its lane: what it can answer, when to refer, and how to coordinate across campus.
Allies & live updates
An ongoing network with timely policy updates, shared resources, and channels for each campus.
Campus action
A campus action proposal turns learning into concrete change: new resources, programs, or policy your campus can implement.
Why it matters now
The support these students need shouldn't wait.
undocumented students are enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities.
have DACA or any protection from deportation, and new applications remain frozen.
more graduate high school every year. Because of DACA's 2007 cutoff, almost none can newly qualify.
The faculty and staff who see these students every day already hold the power to change their path. BRIDGE is how they put it to work.
Sources: Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education & Immigration and the American Immigration Council (2025); Fwd.us.
Educators from these institutions are BRIDGE‑certified
Lessons tailored to your cohort.
Spanning law, access, well-being, and data privacy. The order flexes to fit your campus, so there's no fixed sequence.
Introduction to the Undocumented & Immigrant Community
Core immigration statuses, humanizing terminology, demographics, and how DACA & TPS work.
State & Federal Laws & Policies
How federal and state immigration law shapes access, equity, and campus operations.
Access to Higher Education
Admission, tuition, licensing, and funding barriers, plus intersecting student identities.
Pathways After College
Alternative funding, ITIN vs SSN, independent contracting, and career advising without work authorization.
Supporting Mental Health & Well-being
Trauma-informed care, stigma, and legally safe counseling for undocumented students.
Protecting Students & Their Data
FERPA, warrants, the visibility trap, and safe data-collection practices.
Department-Specific Support Strategies
Role-specific actions across admissions, financial aid, advising, basic needs, and leadership.
Campus Action Proposal
A grounded proposal that drives sustainable institutional change on your campus, beyond BRIDGE.
A credential, a toolkit, and a year-round community.
BRIDGE doesn't end at the closing session. You leave with a verifiable credential, a curriculum that keeps pace with the law, and a network you can reach all year.
Verifiable digital badge
A shareable credential for LinkedIn and email signatures that confirms you completed the program.
Alumni ally network
A year-round Slack for Q&A, shared toolkits, and campus working groups long after the cohort ends.
Participant resource portal
Slides, recordings, FAQs, and practical guidance in one place you can return to anytime.
Always-current guidance
Curriculum refreshed as laws and policies shift, so what you learn stays accurate.
Led by people with lived experience. BRIDGE is designed and taught by immigrant professionals who understand the community firsthand.
What certified educators say.
My biggest takeaway, after seeing the speakers, is that there is hope. I appreciate that they share their personal experiences and the resources available. Knowing about these resources is life-changing.
Participant, Santa Rosa Junior College
Post-graduate preparation changed my outlook on how to support students for life after graduating. I was very pessimistic and uncomfortable with this topic before, but now I feel much more comfortable talking to students about opportunities and ideas for their future.
Participant, John Jay College
The breadth of available resources that are there for students. If I was supporting a student, I would now feel confident saying that they are truly not alone!
Participant, Bryn Mawr College
This program has helped open the dialogue on campus about resources available and ways to best support our undocumented students.
Participant, Hunter College · CUNY
The capstone helped me move from understanding the issue to thinking about what I could actually change on my campus.
BRIDGE Certified Practitioner
I love the BRIDGE program so much. I truly learned, and beyond that I connected with so many more people on campus who all have the shared goal of supporting undocumented students in the ways we can.
Participant, Tri-College Consortium
The Access Model
Take BRIDGE your way.
Enroll as an individual on our learning platform, bring BRIDGE to your whole campus, or extend it across your network. Every path leads to the same verifiable certification.
What educators and campuses ask first.
Is the content legally current, and who reviews it?
Yes. BRIDGE was co-developed with CUNY's Office of Undocumented & Immigrant Student Programs and reviewed for legal accuracy, and it's refreshed as laws and policies change.
Do I need a legal or immigration background?
No. BRIDGE is built for any staff member, adviser, faculty member, or administrator. No prior legal or immigration expertise is required, just a willingness to better support your students.
Who should get certified?
Anyone a student might turn to, across the whole campus. Enrollment management: admissions, financial aid, registrar. Student affairs & support: advising, career center, basic needs, counseling, the first-gen center, campus safety. Leadership & faculty: deans, president's office, general counsel, and faculty.
How much time does it take, and what's required to certify?
About one hour a week across the program, plus a campus action proposal. To earn the credential, attend or watch six or more sessions and submit your proposal.
What happens after I'm certified, when policy changes?
You keep access to the alumni ally network, shared resources, and ongoing updates, so your knowledge stays current as laws and guidance shift.
Is my participation public?
No. Certifications are confirmed privately by name or credential ID through our verification portal. We don't publish a public participant roster.
Can I enroll as an individual?
A self-paced online certification is coming soon for individual educators. Join the interest list to be notified. Live cohorts are running now.
Can we bring BRIDGE to our whole campus?
Yes. Campus cohorts certify staff and faculty together across departments, with institution-specific channels and shared campus action proposals that drive campus-wide change. There's no cap on participating staff and faculty.
How much does it cost?
BRIDGE uses flexible sliding-scale pricing based on your campus's budget and need. Reach out and we'll walk you through the options.
Built and vetted by the field's leaders.
BRIDGE is built with the people who do this work, vetted by one of the country's top law firms, and backed by the field's leading higher-education immigration coalition.
Nation's largest urban public university
Co-developed the BRIDGE curriculum from real campus practice. The Office of Undocumented & Immigrant Student Programs supports students across CUNY's 25 campuses.
One of the country's top law firms
Reviews every session so what you learn stays legally accurate and current, drawing on one of the country's most recognized firms.
580+ college & university leaders
The field's leading coalition on higher education and immigration stands behind the approach and champions BRIDGE nationwide.
That's what holds up the certification you earn.
BRIDGE Certification Program
The BRIDGE Certification Program, which stands for Building Resources for Immigrant Dreams, Growth, & Empowerment, will be a 9-session virtual certification course that helps higher education institutions support their immigrant and undocumented students. The certification will equip staff and faculty with up-to-date training and resources on how to navigate rapid policy changes, foster an informed, inclusive campus climate, and guide students toward post-college success.
Program Benefits
Earn a Certification Badge
Connect with a network of allies
Keep up-to-date on shifting laws and policies affecting undocumented students subsequent ways to support them
Learn how to make programming inclusive of undocumented students across all campus departments
Understand best practices for supporting undocumented students
Curriculum Overview
The BRIDGE Certification Program will consist of 9 sessions covering the topics listed below. For Session 5, participants will be able to attend any breakout sessions(s) of their choice.
Interested?
Sign up with your email and we will reach out to you with more details!
Disclaimer
We are currently accepting applications from higher education institutions only. We hope to expand access in the near future to include individuals, nonprofits, and other organizations. In the meantime, our Undocu-Ally training and student-facing workshops are open to everyone.