By Elizabeth Morgan, Director of External Relations, and Ewa Ogundana, Communications Intern
Jan. 15, 2020: This piece was updated to include the expanded eligibility criteria for the scholarships, 2020 scholarship deadlines, and other more current data.
Each year, an estimated 98,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools, but only 5-10% enroll in college.
Undocumented students face serious financial challenges in affording postsecondary education because of their immigration status. They have no access to federal student aid, limited access to state aid, and sometimes face paying out-of-state tuition in the states where they have grown up and graduated from high school.
If your organization assists undocumented students, please be sure to learn about the generous scholarships available from TheDream.US, which have upcoming deadlines in January and February.
Since its founding in 2014, TheDream.US has supported more than 3,300 students and paid more than $60 million in scholarships. In 2018, the organization reported that its students had an impressive graduation or persistence rate of 87% and had earned an average 3.2 GPA.
More than 75 colleges have signed on as partners, and each partner college has an on-campus scholar adviser. These advisers help students build lasting relationships and assist them in navigating their college career by providing them access to campus resources that will help them succeed.
TheDream.US offers two scholarships, depending on a student’s state of residence, and in 2019, the organization expanded its eligibility criteria. Students are now eligible to apply for the scholarships if they entered the U.S. prior to Nov. 1, 2014.
The National Scholarship is for high school or community college students who have DACA, TPS, or are DACA-eligible. This scholarship covers tuition and fees up to a maximum of $14,500 for an associate degree and $29,000 for a bachelor’s degree at one of the 75-plus colleges and universities TheDream.US partners with. Some recipients of the scholarship also receive an additional stipend of up to $4,000 (or $1,000 per year) for books, supplies, and transportation. The deadline for this scholarship is Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020.
The Opportunity Scholarship is for high school or community college students who live in states where they effectively have no access to college, either because they face paying out-of-state tuition or because their state simply will not admit them into its universities. Students also must have DACA, TPS, or be DACA-eligible. There are 14 states that are considered locked-out states (Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). The Opportunity Scholarship covers tuition, fees, and on-campus housing and meals at one of four partner colleges up to a maximum of $80,000 for a bachelor’s degree. (The partner colleges are Christian Brothers University, Delaware State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Trinity Washington University (Women’s College).) The deadline for this scholarship is Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020.
Both of these scholarships are renewable each year as long as a student meets the continuing eligibility criteria.
Scholarship recipients from across the country share how TheDream.US offers more than just a scholarship – it’s a community of partners and supporters who are committed to seeing these scholars succeed and become the leaders of tomorrow.
Kirssy Martinez, a scholar attending City College of New York, shared that after eight years of living underground, “now I am in school. My GPA is 4.0. I want to (one day) be a college professor. … My message to prospective applicants for the scholarship is that you shouldn’t be afraid. TheDream.US is a group of people trying to help undocumented students who don’t have access to financial aid.”
For more information about TheDream.US scholarship recipients, see this October 2018 report highlighting their academic successes, day-to-day challenges, and recommendations about how colleges, policymakers, and everyday Americans can help support undocumented students.
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