Ten years ago, on June 15, 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program launched to protect people who came to the U.S. as children without documentation. DACA allows young people who qualify to pursue their education and career dreams without fear of deportation. To date, more than 800,000 DREAMers have been able to obtain work permits, go to college, and build fulfilling and productive careers in the U.S. because of the program. DACA recipients have longstanding roots in their communities, pay $9.5 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, and yield $25.3 billion in spending power annually.  

 

But DACA does not go far enough to put higher education within reach for DREAMers and other undocumented students. These students are prohibited from receiving federal financial assistance, such as Pell Grants, work study, or federal student loans, and in all but 19 states, they must pay out-of-state tuition at public colleges. Many are prohibited from participating in state financial aid programs too.  

 

Congress should make all forms of federal student aid available to students who are undocumented – Pell Grants, institutional aid like work-study, and federal student loans should not be restricted by immigration status. 

 

Federal Student Aid (FSA) should also take immediate steps to make it easier for students who are undocumented or who have parents who are undocumented to complete a FAFSA form by simplifying the process of verifying one’s identity and receiving an FSA ID.

 

See NCAN's state policy priorities for state-specific policies to support all our students, and see here for more information on how to support DREAMers.