Dreamers refers to anyone whose parents brought them into the United States before their 16th birthday (and were under the age of 31 in 2012) without proper documentation. Fast forward to now, Dreamers are in school, many have a degree, or are serving in the military. The requirements to receive DACA are inflexible and expensive, and there is a persistent threat hanging over Dreamers while they’re in the U.S. because of their immigration status. The scholarships offered to high school students are also limited if you’re undocumented.

“Access to a higher education should not be difficult because of your immigration status,” said Maite Arce, Hispanic Access president and CEO. “When DACA was first established, it provided Dreamers the ability to go to school, have a job, have a driver’s license, etc. They are a part of our community, and contribute to our country’s prosperity. They should have the same chance as everybody else to attend college.”

The scholarship was created this year to honor founding board member Roberto A. Salazar, his legacy and his passion for helping Latino students. Over the next 10 years, Dreamers will contribute an estimated $433 billion to the GDP, $60 billion in fiscal impact, and $12.3 billion in tax dollars directly to Social Security and Medicare if they are allowed to continue to work legally in the U.S.

Hispanic Access will be accepting applications for the Roberto A. Salazar Legacy Scholarship until Wednesday, November 1, 2023. To learn more click here, and apply here https://bit.ly/RSScholarship.