The roughly 60,000 undocumented college students at California’s public campuses are eligible for state financial aid, but not federal grants and loans. They cannot legally work, and they struggle to find the money to afford rent, food and other college expenses beyond tuition.

These students often can have their tuition waived, though until recently excessive paperwork likely prevented some students from receiving all the state aid for which they were eligible.

Some lawmakers are pushing for legislation that would permit undocumented students to work at public colleges and universities. The effort follows a failed attempt by students at the UC to persuade the system’s leadership to adopt a novel, but untested, legal theory that says state agencies are exempt from federal rules blocking undocumented residents from working in the U.S. The ability to work on campus would likely help many undocumented students afford their education.