Undocumented/dreamer students: refers to students born outside of the United States, but who have lived in the country for a significant portion of their lives and reside in the United States without the legal permission of the federal government.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): Is an executive memo issued on June 15, 2012 offering undocumented persons under the age of 31 and meeting specific criteria deferred action of deportation. DACA does not provide an individual with lawful status. Through the Department of Homeland Security, DACA recipients are granted the ability to work legally in the United States for a two-year period and the right to obtain a driver's license. DACA is currently schedule to be phased out.
Mixed-Status Family: Is a family whose members includes people with different citizenship or immigration statuses. An example of a mixed-status family is one in which the parents are undocumented and the children are U.S. citizens. Students who identify this way can complete the FAFSA.
SCHOLARSHIPS ARE A WAY FOR DREAMERS TO PAY FOR COLLEGE SUCH AS:
TheDream.US scholarships are for highly motivated undocumented students who want to get a college education but are unable to afford the cost. They have no access to federal aid, limited access to state aid, and they sometimes face paying out-of-state tuition. They offer two scholarships.
You can browse Scholarship.com for scholarship specifically related to dreamers of different statuses.
SENATOR JOSE PERALTA NEW YORK STATE DREAM ACT gives undocumented and other students access to New York State‐administered grants and scholarships that support their higher education costs. The DREAM Act opens the doors of higher education to thousands of students, providing access to the new Excelsior Scholarship, the Tuition Assistance Program, as well as other state‐administered scholarships that were not previously available to them.
CUNY Citizenship Now! will provide free consultations and application assistance for students. They also screen students for other forms of immigration benefits. For questions, email CUNY Citizenship Now! at citizenshipnowinfo@cuny.edu or call (212) 652-2071.