National Scholarship Targets Undocumented Students In Indiana
Undocumented students from Indiana can apply for a scholarship to attend school at universities in Delaware and Connecticut. Indiana is one of many states that charge undocumented student out of state tuition, no matter how long they have lived in a state. (Photo Credit: chancadoodle/Flickr)
A national scholarship foundation will offer a $20,000 a year scholarship to undocumented students in Indiana to attend college in Delaware or Connecticut. They say Indiana policy restricts college access for undocumented students.
According to the Indiana Latino Institute, there are an estimated 300-400 undocumented students that graduate from Indiana high schools each year. Marlene Dotson, president of the Indiana Latino Institute, says these students face a lot of challenges if they want to attend college.
“There are very few options,” Dotson says. “First because they don’t qualify for federal aid because of their legal status. Undocumented students have to look for private scholarships to help their financial needs or tuition.”
TheDream.US is a privately funded scholarship organization that helps undocumented students fund their college education. This specific scholarship will give 500 students in 15 states $20,000 a year to attend Eastern Connecticut State or Delaware State universities – where these students can cover the cost of attending with the entire scholarship.
Because Indiana is one state that charges undocumented students out of state tuition to attend a state university, regardless of how long they’ve lived here, the organization is targeting undocumented students here to apply for the scholarship.
Candy Marshall, President of TheDream.us, says many undocumented students came to the U.S. as small children and are just as American as other college students.
“They go through our elementary schools, they go through our high schools, they are our prom kings and queens, they’re our debate champions, they are our football quarterbacks,” Marshall says. “But yet when it’s time to go to college they are locked out.”