Baltimore City Community College, Citizenship Preparation Program

BCCC’s Citizenship Preparation program is the largest citizenship program in the state of Maryland. Citizenship classes prepare students (immigrants and refugees with legal permanent resident status) with the ESL skills and U.S. civics knowledge needed to pass the federal naturalization exam, and help new Americans understand the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Because of grant funding, all citizenship classes are free for students!

Citizenship provides many benefits to immigrants and refugees:

• Right to vote in local, state, and federal elections
• Access to government jobs and better employment opportunities
• Ability to petition for family members to come to the U.S
• Ability to travel abroad with U.S passport
• Automatic derivative citizenship of green-card holding children under the age of 18
• Access to scholarships, grants, loans, public benefits
• Protection from deportation and greater stability in the U.S

Studies show that naturalized citizens on average do better economically than noncitizens - as a group they earn between 50 and 70 percent more than non-citizens, have higher employment rates and are less likely to live below the poverty line. New citizens can also see individual earnings increases of 8 to 11 percent, directly tied to more job preparation, better employment matches and a greater ability to switch jobs.” Kozlowska, Hanna. "The Economy Benefits When Immigrants Become Citizens." The Atlantic (Dec. 2015).

Contact us if you are interested in helping immigrants and refugees have better lives through citizenship!