Currently in the state of Iowa, students who are under DACA are not able to receive federal or state funding to help pay for college. I mention “in Iowa” because there are states in the USA that offer state funding for students in this situation.
With that being said, this does not mean that the student is not able to get any financial aid. Colleges have foundation scholarships available that don’t ask about immigration status or don’t require a student to be a US Citizen. Talk to the college’s financial aid office about potential scholarship opportunities.
Another place to seek funding for post-secondary education is your community. Many local groups, organizations and businesses have scholarships that don’t require a social security number. These scholarships usually become available starting in December and are usually due in the spring. Pay attention to emails from your school counselors because they will send out information about local scholarships when they become available.
There are national resources available as well: unitedwedream.org is a good website to start off with. I’d also recommend looking at national scholarship websites such as fastweb.com and scholarships.com.
Another option to pay for a college education under DACA status is to set up a payment plan. By setting up a payment plan with the college you will be able to pay on a monthly basis vs. paying a lump sum at the beginning of each semester. If you want to set up a payment plan, please talk to the billing office first. You need to understand how much you can afford based on how many credits you’re taking.
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call me at 319-423-7702.
Lupe - ICAN Coralville and Davenport Centers
