Washington, DC – TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college access and success program for immigrant youth, has opened 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 eligibility for North Carolina immigrant youth and other students who live in targeted, locked-out states where they cannot access in-state tuition. The Opportunity Scholarship provides up to $80,000 for these students to cover tuition, fees, and on-campus housing and meals for a bachelor’s degree at one of four out-of-state colleges which are dedicated to supporting the higher education needs of DREAMers: Christian Brothers University in Tennessee, Delaware State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Trinity Washington University in Washington, DC. TheDream.US has awarded 633 Opportunity Scholarships in total, including 184 to students from North Carolina.

The deadline for applications for the Opportunity Scholarship is January 28, 2021.

According to Candy Marshall, president of TheDream.US: “We are honored to support highly motivated DREAMers in North Carolina and other states where immigrant youth face extra barriers in their pursuit of a college education and meaningful career. We are buoyed by President-elect Biden’s commitments to reinstate the DACA program and pursue legislation that will provide DREAMers with a path to citizenship that will enable them to fully contribute to our shared country. Until this happens, immigrant youth in North Carolina and other locked-out states will continue to need our support. With the opening of our 2021-22 Opportunity Scholarship round, we are grateful for the partnership with our Partner Colleges that are proven to support Opportunity Scholars pursue their dream of a college education and a meaningful career.”

LatinxEd, a North Carolina organization that helps immigrant families and first-generation college students access higher education, recently welcomed five current TheDream.US Opportunity Scholars to join a panel discussion for undocumented high school students in the state. The Opportunity Scholars shared stories about the supportive communities they have found at their universities and encouraged students in locked-out states such as NC to apply. As one LatinxEd advisor said, “It was comforting to me to hear that the Opportunity Scholars feel supported by the program beyond the financial support and that, despite their initial fears or misgivings about leaving the state, they have overcome them and are flourishing.”

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.

Visit www.thedream.us/scholarships/opportunity-scholarship/ for Application Information.