110 Iowa L. Rev. 397 (2024)
Abstract
This Note explores the intersection of American immigration law, gender dynamics, and access to higher education through federal student aid, focusing on Indian women who immigrate on an H-4 visa and suffer from domestic abuse at the hands of their H-1B sponsor. Specifically, this Note investigates how widening access to higher education through the expansion of qualifications for student federal aid can serve as a transformative tool in enabling these individuals to escape. With H-4 visa holders facing legal limitations, financial dependency on their H-1B spouses, and cultural barriers, this Note advocates for policy reform that extends federal student aid eligibility to H-4 visa holders. This nuanced policy reform is one of many necessary in dismantling the underlying coverture aspect of the H-1B/H-4 program.