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We know it’s been hard for DACA, Dreamers, and undocumented students to attain higher education, especially with the out of state tuition prices here in the U.S. Hence, we have compiled a list of life-changing DACA scholarships below to help you fund your higher education.
As a DACA student applying for a scholarship, there are a few options to think about. Do you have excellent grades? A talent? Are you pursuing a degree in a specific field? Do you volunteer anywhere?
Many DACA scholarships look at financial need but may also have other criteria. Besides, there are many DACA scholarships for students with defined majors.
Check out our list of DACA scholarships. We have 10 awards worth $1M.
1. FCHCC Achieving the Dream Scholarship
First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FCHCC) awards promising Hispanic students scholarships to continue their education. In 2020, the foundation is awarding a total of $20,000 scholarships to 10 deserving applicants.
Achieving the Dream (ATD) Scholarship is for students of Hispanic/Latino descent who are pursuing an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or Master’s Degree and meet the following requirements:
- S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident
- DACA Students must provide documentation
- Pursuing an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
- At least one parent or grandparent of Hispanic/Latino origin from a Spanish speaking country
- Minimum GPA 3.0 (must provide official transcript)
- A resident of one of the five First Coast counties: Duval, Baker, St. Johns, Clay or Nassau
- Completed FAFSA to determine financial need
- Answer two (2) short essays
- Submit at least one (1) Letter of Recommendation
- Attend an interview session
The winning students will be formally awarded at the Annual Hispanic Heritage Gala held every Fall.
If you wish to be included as the next recipient of the Achieving the Dream Scholarship, proceed to FCHCC’s official website for more information.
2. Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund
Arkansas Single Parent Scholarships (ASPSF) offers scholarships to low-income single parents who are pursuing post-secondary education that leads to skilled employment. ASPSF provides financial assistance that will help you to:
- Pursue your education
- Increase your income
- Raise the standard of living for your family
To be eligible for an ASPSF scholarship, you must meet the criteria listed below:
- You live in the state of Arkansas or in Bowie County, TX
- You meet the following definition of “single parent” (all 3 categories): marital status, parenting status, or living status
- You’re a legal resident of the United States (or a resident with DACA status), applying in the county where you live
- You’ve earned a high school diploma or GED
- You’ve not previously earned a bachelor’s degree
- You have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
- Your household income is typically not more than 250% of Federal Poverty Guidelines.
- You’ve completed or are in the process of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (not required for DACA students or those in an approved short-term training program)
- You’re attending or planning to attend an ASPSF approved school or training program
- You’re pursuing a degree or certification that leads to employment at family-supporting wages
Applying for one of the single parent scholarships offered by ASPSF is easy. Visit its website to start your application now.
3. Red Thread Foundation Scholarship
The Red Thread Foundation Scholarship is available to college-bound women of international backgrounds who will be entering an American college or university in the coming Fall. If selected, scholars are awarded $1000 to help offset the cost of tuition, books, and living expenses.
Women of an international background, including foreign students, immigrants, or first-generation Americans, who are first-year entrants to a U.S. college or university program in Fall 2020 are eligible to apply for the Red Thread Scholarship Program. There are no GPA or U.S. residency requirements.
Click here to apply for the Red Thread Foundation Scholarship.
4. The LAGRANT Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships
Thirty (30) undergraduate scholarship recipients of the LAGRANT Foundation will receive a trip to New York City, New York where they will participate in career building activities including a welcome dinner with a keynote speaker, three daylong career & professional development workshops, and a scholarship & donor recognition reception.
Undergraduate applicants meeting the following criteria and completing the application will be considered for The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) scholarship in the amount of $2,500:
- Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or DACA recipient
- Must be a member of one of the following ethnic groups: African American/Black, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino or Native American/Alaska Native
- Must be a full-time student at a four-year, accredited institution within the U.S., carrying a total of 12 units or more per semester/quarter
- Must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA
- Must major in a field of study that has an emphasis on advertising, marketing, or public relations
- Must have at least one year to complete his/her degree from the time the scholarships are awarded in May 2021
The scholarship application is accessible through this page.
5. Single Parent Professional Certification Scholarship of Northwest Arkansas
These scholarships are a one-time scholarship for students enrolled at approved institutions (NWTI, UAMS/Schmieding Center, Petra Allied Health, PRN, North Arkansas College or NWACC) and various courses at the University of Arkansas Global Campus.
To qualify you must be:
- A single parent (see definition below)
- A legal United States resident or a resident with DACA Status, and a resident of Carroll, Madison, or Washington County, Arkansas
- A high school or GED graduate
- Pursuing a career-oriented course of study (full or part-time) to ensure a better standard of living for your family
- Living at or near the poverty level (up to 250% of Federal Poverty Guidelines)
- An applicant of the Pell Grant (not required for Allied Health or Professional Certification Scholarship applicants)
- Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5
- Applicants who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree do not qualify for this scholarship
- Applicants who hold a professional certification or an associate’s degree will only be considered eligible if they are pursuing a degree or certification at the next level
- Applicants who have earned 150 credit hours or more will not be eligible for a scholarship
If you wish to be included as the next recipient of the Achieving the Dream Scholarship, proceed to SPSF NWA’s official website for more information.
6. ASA Minority Fellowship Program
Through its Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), the American Sociological Association (ASA) supports the development and training of sociologists of color in any sub-area or specialty in the discipline.
The annual stipend for each award is $18,000. In addition, arrangements for the payments of tuition are made with universities or departments.
There are also limited funds available for travel to the ASA Annual Meeting each August, regional or aligned association meetings in the spring or fall, and professional development training programs and workshops.
MFP applicants must be enrolled in a program that grants the Ph.D. in Sociology and have completed one year of the program (at the Ph.D. level) at the time of application.
MFP Fellows are selected on the basis of their commitment to research, the focus of their research experience, academic achievement, scholarship, writing ability, research potential, financial need, and racial/ethnic minority background.
Specifically, applicants must be members of one of the following racial/ethnic groups: Blacks/African Americans, Latinos/as (e.g., Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans), American Indians or Alaskan Natives, and Asians (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian, South Asian), or Pacific Islanders (e.g., Hawaiian, Guamanian, Samoan, Filipino).
Fellows must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the U.S., have been lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence, or be eligible under DACA.
The 2021 application will be available via this link.
7. The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States.
Each year, the foundation invests in the graduate education of 30 New Americans –immigrants and children of immigrants – who are poised to make significant contributions to US society, culture, or their academic field. Each Fellow receives up to $90,000 in financial support over two years, and they join a lifelong community of New American Fellows.
To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:
- You are a US citizen by birth and both of your parents were born abroad as non-US citizens or you were born abroad
- You will have a bachelor’s degree as of the incoming academic year
- You must be 30 or younger as of the application deadline
Applying for the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is easy. Visit its website to start your application now.
8. Western Michigan University Foundation Scholarship
The University of Western Michigan Foundation Scholarship provides students with significant financial need the ability to attend WMU. Scholarships are awarded based on the transcript GPA at the time of admission.
To qualify you must fulfill the following requirements:
- 70+ weighted cumulative GPA at the time of admission
- Must be a first-year student enrolling in Fall 2021
- Admissible to WMU
- Have verified financial need
Please visit the Western Michigan University Foundation Scholarship’s official page for more information and tips.
9. APSA Minority Fellowship Program
The APSA Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) is a fellowship competition for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds applying to or in the early stages of doctoral programs in political science.
Each fall, the MFP awards between 12-14 funded fellowships in the amount of $4,000 over two years to students applying to doctoral programs in political science. Each spring, the MFP offers fellowships to graduate students in the pre-dissertation stage of their doctoral program.
The Spring MFP is a one time award ranging from $1,000 – $2,000, depending on funding availability.
Fall cycle applicants must be undergraduate seniors, graduates, or students enrolled in a Master’s program that plans to apply for a Ph.D. in political science. They must also represent a racial/ethnic minority group. Spring applicants must be 1st or 2nd year Ph.D. students in good standing in a political science program.
Click here to apply for the APSA MFP.
10. The Anhelo Project Dream Scholarship
The Anhelo Project is a Chicago based non-profit organization that works to support undocumented students pursuing post-secondary education within the State of Illinois.
Since 2011 The Anhelo Project has awarded over $200,000 to more than 60 recipients pursuing their dream to achieve an education beyond high school. Students do not need to have DACA status, and we strongly encourage undocumented students from all racial/ethnic backgrounds to apply.
The Anhelo Project Dream Scholarship will be awarded to eligible high school seniors, undergraduate, graduate, and/or vocational training students who demonstrate leadership, academic competitiveness, community involvement, and financial need.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be an Illinois resident attending a high school, college, university, or vocational training program located within the State of Illinois.
- Must be enrolled full-time for the Spring 2021/Fall 2021 semester at an accredited college, university, or vocational training program located in the State of Illinois
- Be in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA minimum of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale
- Should demonstrate leadership through community involvement either on and/or off-campus
- The Anhelo Project Dream Scholarship recipients must commit 20 hours of volunteer time to The Anhelo Project events during the following academic year
- Holders of F-1 student visas and international students are not eligible to apply for this scholarship
- DACA recipients are eligible to apply due to ineligibility for federal financial assistance
- High School Seniors graduating in June of 2021 are eligible to apply with proof of college, university or vocational training program for enrollment in Fall 2021
To apply, please visit this link.
