January 9, 2018

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DACA STUDENTS

Undocumented students may incorrectly assume that they cannot legally attend college in the United States. There is no federal law that prohibits the admission of undocumented immigrants to U.S. colleges, public or private. However, there are certain obstacles that stand in the way of these students’ path to higher education

Tuition

In many states, public institutions treat undocumented students as international students. What does that mean for you? You may be ineligible for state aid and in-state tuition.
Click here to see policies on in-state tuition for undocumented students by state. Scholarships for undocumented students and DACA scholarships are difficult to find, but not impossible.

Source: http://www.ncsl.org/

Financial Aid

Undocumented students cannot legally receive any federally-funded student financial aid, including loans, grants and scholarships. However, some private scholarships for undocumented students, like Golden Door Scholars, do not require students to be U.S. citizens or residents.
The following organizations have scholarships for undocumented students and DACA scholarships:

Applications open in September of each year

Do I have to have DACA or TPS to apply?

Yes. In addition to providing college access, Golden Door Scholars supports professional experiences. Applicants must be eligible to participate in paid internships. All scholars are required to be approved for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) before scholarship funds are released.

Do I have to be a NC/SC resident?

No, Golden Door Scholars takes applications from all over the country. However, strong priority is given to students from states that charge out-of-state tuition to DACAmented students.

Do I have to be a current high school student to apply?

No. Recent high school graduates, currently enrolled undergrad, and transfer students are also welcome to apply.

However, we do not support funding for Graduate Schools.

Can this scholarship be applied toward graduate school?

No. Golden Door Scholarships may only be applied to undergraduate degree programs.

Are scholars expected to maintain a minimum GPA in college?

Yes, all scholars are expected to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA each semester.

Do I have to go to a partner school?

While most of our students attend Golden Door partner schools, we support students at other accredited 4-year institutions on a case-by-case basis. We are also always developing relationships at new partner schools.

What qualifications does a typical Golden Door Scholar have?

  • DACA qualified
  • Lives in a state that doesn’t allow in-state tuition for DACA students
  • High GPA
  • Taking advanced or challenging high school classes
  • Driven to excel and help others succeed too
  • Has held leadership positions or is involved in the community
  • Has applied for a variety of scholarships

When does the scholarship start?

Golden Door scholarship recipients will begin receiving support in the Fall semester.