For Immediate Release: December 10, 2020
Contact: Michael Earls: [email protected]
TheDream.US Announces Opening of College Scholarship Round for Chicago-Area Immigrant Youth
Visit https://thedream.us/scholarships/ for Application Information
Washington, DC – TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college access and success program for immigrant youth, has announced the opening of its new Scholarship round for the 2021-2022 academic year. The organization’s expanded eligibility criteria opens applications to DREAMers who have DACA, TPS or who came to the country before November 1, 2015 and otherwise meet the DACA eligibility criteria.
The new scholarship round includes a focus on Chicago-area immigrant youth in their pursuit of a college education. Thanks to the support of local Chicago donors, TheDream.US currently has awarded over 400 scholarships to Chicago DREAMers attending nine area Partner Colleges: Arrupe College, Dominican University, Illinois College, Illinois Institute of Technology, Lewis University, National Louis University, North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University, and University of Illinois Chicago.
According to Candy Marshall, president of TheDream.US: “We are proud to support highly motivated DREAMers in Chicago and across America who want to get a college education but are often unable to afford. President-elect Biden’s commitments to reinstate the DACA program and pursue legislation that will provide DREAMers with a path to citizenship give us hope that DREAMers will be able to stay and contribute to our shared country. Until then, immigrant youth continue to face barriers in pursuing their higher education because they are ineligible for federal financial aid, have limited access to state aid, and often face paying out of state tuition. With the opening of our 2021-22 Scholarship round, we want to thank our local Partner Colleges and donors for their support to help us ensure that Chicago-area immigrant youth have the opportunity to pursue their dream of college education and meaningful career.”
“I want to thank TheDream.US scholarship for helping our undocumented community college students make their dreams of transferring to a four-year university a reality,” said Juan Salgado, Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago, the city’s system of seven community colleges. “This scholarship is offering our inspiring students hope and a real path to upward mobility.”
According to Greta Vasiliauskaite, a first year TheDream.US Scholar studying Civil Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology: “As a first generation student, obtaining a college degree will be valuable not only to me, but also my family. I will finally be able to help my mom who has struggled all of her life working multiple jobs and long hours. While working various jobs myself, I’ve realized how important it is to choose a career that I will truly enjoy. I look forward to being the first one to graduate college and to my future career in Civil Engineering!”
For more information on eligibility and how to apply for a TheDream.US scholarship, visit https://thedream.us/scholarships/
About TheDream.US
- TheDream.US is the nation’s largest college access and success program for immigrant youth, having provided more than 6,500 college scholarships to DREAMers at more than 70 partner colleges in 16 states and Washington, DC. We believe that all young Americans, regardless of where they were born, should have the opportunity to get a college education and pursue a meaningful career that contributes to our country’s prosperity.
- Read the September 2020 “In Their Own Words” survey report from TheDream.US detailing how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of 2,681 Scholars attending Partner Colleges in 17 states and Washington, DC. The survey found that while DREAMers and their families’ economic and health security have been greatly diminished by the pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding the future of DACA, DREAMers remain focused on completing college, giving back to their communities, and ambitiously pursuing their post-college goals.