'Dreamers are invaluable assets to the UCF Community'
Thanks to a new scholarship, students whose U.S. residency status qualifies for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) legislation may receive financial support to pursue or continue their education at UCF.
The UCF Dreamers DACA Scholarship was created by a UCF alumnus and volunteer who supports Dreamers in their pursuit of higher education. "DACA students deserve the same opportunities to pursue their dream careers as any other," said the donor, who wishes to remain anonymous. "I am proud to support Dreamers who have great potential for leading the next generation and deserve financial assistance to help them stay enrolled and earn a valuable UCF degree."
While there are no official figures on the population of Dreamers at UCF, an estimated 80 self-identified DACA Knights have received some scholarship support through the office of Multicultural and Academic Support Services in the past. Financial assistance is greatly needed but sorely limited for DACA students, who are ineligible to access federal financial aid, including Pell grants, and who do not qualify for Bright Futures or National Merit Scholarships.
These financial roadblocks can make degree completion difficult and often prevent Dreamers from attending college. In fact, according to a 2018 Harvard University study, about 38 percent of DACA students nationally do not pursue education beyond high school, and only 41 percent of DACA students complete a college degree.
The donor is hoping to ease some of the financial challenges DACA students face. "This endowment was created with the belief that Dreamers are invaluable assets to the UCF community."
To make a gift to the UCF Dreamers DACA scholarship, please visit: www.ucffoundation.org/dreamers