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ICYMI: ED Releases Guide Resource to Support DACA Students

By Allie Bidwell, Communications Staff

The Department of Education (ED) on Tuesday released a resource guide for education officials and community members to support undocumented high school and college students.

Included in the resource guide, which is also intended to support Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, is an overview of the rights of undocumented students, tips for educators to support undocumented students, information on access to federal financial aid and private scholarships, information on local federally-funded adult education programs, and guidance for students to access their education records for DACA.

John King, senior advisor delegated the duties of deputy secretary of education, announced the release of the resource guide during a roundtable discussion with students at San Francisco State University on Tuesday.

“Our nation’s public schools should be welcoming, safe, and supportive places where all students, regardless of their zip code or where they were born, are given the opportunity to succeed,” King said in a statement. “We know undocumented youth face unique challenges and we also know that educators and other caring adults in schools and colleges can play a major role in helping all students, including undocumented students, to achieve at the highest levels.”

It’s been three years since President Barack Obama opened the door for certain students to receive a reprieve from deportation through DACA. Obama also extended the opportunity to more immigrants who would like to enroll in college by lifting age restrictions on DACA last November.

Since 2012, more than 680,000 students have received DACA, ED said in a press release, and researchers estimate that another 1.5 million may currently be eligible.

A recent survey from the immigrant youth-led network United We Dream (UWD) also showed positive higher education outcomes for DACA recipients: In the three years since DACA has been implemented, more than one-quarter of recipients said they had completed either a two- or four-year degree.

“We strongly encourage those who might be eligible for DACA to use this resource guide,” said Leon Rodriguez, U.S. citizenship and immigration services director, in a statement. “We applaud the Department of Education for providing these resources to the undocumented people in this country who can benefit from DACA.”

For more on DACA and advising undocumented students, see the article Angela D. Adams, former director in the Immigration Practice Group at Lewis & Kappes, P.C., penned for NASFAA’s Student Aid Perspectives series back in Dec. 2012.

 

Publication Date: 10/21/2015


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