DACA students face new challenges
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was highly lauded as a program to support those who were brought to the United States as infants or small children. The system was a boon for these immigrants, allowing students and recipients to explore more options. DACA was not perfect, and in no way were DACA students living an easy life. But they had the satisfying knowledge that they would be able to stay in the country they called home and be allowed to chase their dreams. In the past year, those protected under DACA had been launched into a state of confusion. Deportation became a possibility. Higher tuition was a possibility. Questions remained unanswered. Their immigration status was up in the air. In Arizona, 2,000 DACA students’ ambitions to achieve a higher education could possibly be cut off abruptly. Their future was in question and it seemed as if no help was available for them.
The Struggles of DACA Students
Kevin Ramos, 19, was born in Sonora, Mexico and was brought to the United States when he was 3 years old. He has been protected by DACA for 4 years. Ramos is ambitious and driven, but his immigration status haunts him at every turn.
For instance, Ramos wanted to join the army after high school, but he was unable to because of his legal status.
“They keep telling me you need a green card. If I do get a green card, I would join,” he said.
College was another option for Ramos, and he received a scholarship from the University of Nebraska. However, he was not allowed to take the scholarship because he was a DACA student; they are only allowed to receive private scholarships.
“I’m barely having enough to pay in-state tuition,” Ramos said. “And there’s rarely any scholarships out there for DACA people.”
Ramos couldn’t travel out of the country to see his family. He said he cannot travel to Mexico and has not seen his family since he was 3 years old.
Anna Ochoa O’Leary, the head of Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona, said these disadvantages have an impact on DACA recipients.
“These are stress-inducing situations,” O’Leary said. “Stress has other consequences for those who are experiencing it. There’s a physiological and psychological impact that stress has.”
For many DACA recipients, the stress can be overbearing and the amount of work needed to become successful seems worthless. Yet O’Leary believes it is unfair to put DACA recipients in a stereotype without knowing their individual stories.
“To characterize them as giving up is short-sighted,” O’Leary said. “There are so many impediments to achieving what students would like to achieve given their ambitions and goals.”
The Ruling
On April 9, 2018, DACA students living in Arizona learned they were no longer eligible for in-state tuition and would now have to pay out-of-state tuition. The average UA student who qualifies for in-state tuition pays $24,000 more annually than a student paying out-of-state tuition.
To Drew Warner, president of the Immigration Law Student Association at UA, the ruling was illogical.
“There’s no reason for this,” Warner said. “It’s not good economically. It’s not a good investment in the future of the state of Arizona. It’s not good for society and it’s not moral.”
Many people support DACA, and they were outraged at the ruling
“Those who care about immigrant rights, they thought it was just a despicable ruling,” Warner said.
Joshua Steele, senior director of online student success at UA, said the ruling was highly controversial on the UA campus.
“It’s a ruling that the university itself did not endorse in any way,” Steele said. “We’ll continue to work and see how we can continue to help and support students as they look to achieve their education.”
Yesenia Gamez, incoming president of the ILSA at UA, said the ruling could force a choice for DACA students.
“A lot of the times it could come down to renewing your DACA or paying tuition,” Gamez said.
If students choose to pay tuition, it is unlikely that they will be able to pay the $500 DACA renewal fee. However, if they pay for their DACA renewal, their aspiration for higher education will have to be put on hold.
For many low-income families with DACA students, the change presents serious challenges and choices.
“My mom and dad don’t have really good jobs, so I don’t really think they’re gonna help [with tuition],” Ramos said.
O’Leary said the ruling may leave some DACA students in an impoverished situation.
“Not having the ability to access higher education has long term impact on the quality of life,” she said.
The Impact
Ramos said the ruling on in-state tuition restricted his choice to attend college.
“Out-of-state tuition [costs] more. So how am I going to get that money?” he said, his voice rising in frustration. “That’s a big gap. I’m not gonna put myself in debt just for the out-of-state tuition.”
Many DACA students come from underprivileged families that often do not have the same access to resources and options as other students.
“[The ruling] will affect them tremendously because these are students from families that are, for the most part, under-resourced,” O’Leary said.
David Marcus, a professor at the UA James E. Rogers College of Law who participated in a September forum on “DACA: Law and Policy/Context and Impact”, said that the ruling may have an even larger impact.
“I worry that a lot of them will be forced to leave school because they can’t afford it,” Marcus said.
Many universities in Arizona do not have the financial ability to help these DACA students, either. Marcus said that UA lacks resources and that there are not enough money and scholarships to help students.
“Money in circulation is nowhere near enough to cover the tuition and money needed by DACA students,” Marcus said.
While scholarships and other sources can help nullify the extra money needed to pay out-of-state tuition, there is a scarcity of these support systems.
“There are not a lot of resources available for them that can help make up the difference in the tuition differential,” Marcus said.
Steele also feels that the ruling will have a largely negative impact on DACA students.
“It’s a really big decision, it’s a big change in the tuition that they’re charged. I know that its impacting DACA students adversely,” Steele said. “I would assume that we would have fewer students who are seeking to earn their education in Arizona.”
The ruling and lack of resources have discouraged Ramos from attending college.
“I only had to get private scholarships. But I can’t get government help and I have to pay full out of state tuition, so how am I going to do that?” Ramos said. “It’s impossible.”
Looking Ahead
Ramos works at a dentistry in Tucson, which he got into because of the Sunset School Dental Program.
“I got pretty lucky to be honest, I’m doing dental technician [work],” he said. “I wanted to be a hygienist, but now I’m working myself up.”
Ramos will not be able to attend college without financial aid.
One option for students would be taking classes online. For instance, UA Online offers the same tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students.
“UA Online is a great option for students who can’t attend class,” Steele said. “The university is working really hard to think about how we can support these individuals.”
To achieve a higher education, it is possible to attend a community college, though tuition will still be increased, or contact organizations that can help provide financial aid.
“There are some really kind, good-hearted individuals in the country and in the state who pay for private scholarships for DACA kids,” Warner said. “I mean you can work full time and maybe pay for community college where you can get an associate’s degree.”
The reality is that DACA students have an uphill battle to fight. In addition to the ruling on in-state tuition, DACA recipients have had to worry about deportation due to President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the DACA program in September 2017.
“With the political climate, [higher education] may actually be on the backburner for a lot of DACA students because a lot of [applications] are coming up for renewals in the next couple months and they don’t know if their DACA is getting renewed,” Gamez said.
What’s Next
If students are forced to leave the country, Ramos said they will only face more struggles. Ramos is worried he will have to endure many more trials if he is deported.
“I don’t know anything about Mexico,” he said. “My Spanish is not that great and I’d probably be homeless if I go back.”
A glimmer of hope may be coming via the court system.
“There are several pending federal court cases challenging the rescission of the DACA program,” Marcus said.
The chances remain slim, though, according to Marcus. For now, all that can be done is raise awareness and strengthen the movement to back the DACA program.
“We need to have more people vote and continue that political struggle, because it’s all a political struggle,” O’Leary said.
For those who support the program, they hope that common morals will triumph over politics.
“I’d like to see decency prevail and do the right thing,” Warner said.
Meanwhile, DACA students will keep trying to convince the U. S. people of their commitment to success and the only country that they have known their entire life.
“I think for most of them, they are American in every sense of the word, except that they were not born here,” O’Leary said. “A goal is to be accepted by this country, allowed to work and be productive members of society, as they already are and to have the threat of deportation lifted so they can go on with their lives.”
The Struggles of DACA Students
Kevin Ramos, 19, was born in Sonora, Mexico and was brought to the United States when he was 3 years old. He has been protected by DACA for 4 years. Ramos is ambitious and driven, but his immigration status haunts him at every turn.
For instance, Ramos wanted to join the army after high school, but he was unable to because of his legal status.
“They keep telling me you need a green card. If I do get a green card, I would join,” he said.
College was another option for Ramos, and he received a scholarship from the University of Nebraska. However, he was not allowed to take the scholarship because he was a DACA student; they are only allowed to receive private scholarships.
“I’m barely having enough to pay in-state tuition,” Ramos said. “And there’s rarely any scholarships out there for DACA people.”
Ramos couldn’t travel out of the country to see his family. He said he cannot travel to Mexico and has not seen his family since he was 3 years old.
Anna Ochoa O’Leary, the head of Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona, said these disadvantages have an impact on DACA recipients.
“These are stress-inducing situations,” O’Leary said. “Stress has other consequences for those who are experiencing it. There’s a physiological and psychological impact that stress has.”
For many DACA recipients, the stress can be overbearing and the amount of work needed to become successful seems worthless. Yet O’Leary believes it is unfair to put DACA recipients in a stereotype without knowing their individual stories.
“To characterize them as giving up is short-sighted,” O’Leary said. “There are so many impediments to achieving what students would like to achieve given their ambitions and goals.”
The Ruling
On April 9, 2018, DACA students living in Arizona learned they were no longer eligible for in-state tuition and would now have to pay out-of-state tuition. The average UA student who qualifies for in-state tuition pays $24,000 more annually than a student paying out-of-state tuition.
To Drew Warner, president of the Immigration Law Student Association at UA, the ruling was illogical.
“There’s no reason for this,” Warner said. “It’s not good economically. It’s not a good investment in the future of the state of Arizona. It’s not good for society and it’s not moral.”
Many people support DACA, and they were outraged at the ruling
“Those who care about immigrant rights, they thought it was just a despicable ruling,” Warner said.
Joshua Steele, senior director of online student success at UA, said the ruling was highly controversial on the UA campus.
“It’s a ruling that the university itself did not endorse in any way,” Steele said. “We’ll continue to work and see how we can continue to help and support students as they look to achieve their education.”
Yesenia Gamez, incoming president of the ILSA at UA, said the ruling could force a choice for DACA students.
“A lot of the times it could come down to renewing your DACA or paying tuition,” Gamez said.
If students choose to pay tuition, it is unlikely that they will be able to pay the $500 DACA renewal fee. However, if they pay for their DACA renewal, their aspiration for higher education will have to be put on hold.
For many low-income families with DACA students, the change presents serious challenges and choices.
“My mom and dad don’t have really good jobs, so I don’t really think they’re gonna help [with tuition],” Ramos said.
O’Leary said the ruling may leave some DACA students in an impoverished situation.
“Not having the ability to access higher education has long term impact on the quality of life,” she said.
The Impact
Ramos said the ruling on in-state tuition restricted his choice to attend college.
“Out-of-state tuition [costs] more. So how am I going to get that money?” he said, his voice rising in frustration. “That’s a big gap. I’m not gonna put myself in debt just for the out-of-state tuition.”
Many DACA students come from underprivileged families that often do not have the same access to resources and options as other students.
“[The ruling] will affect them tremendously because these are students from families that are, for the most part, under-resourced,” O’Leary said.
David Marcus, a professor at the UA James E. Rogers College of Law who participated in a September forum on “DACA: Law and Policy/Context and Impact”, said that the ruling may have an even larger impact.
“I worry that a lot of them will be forced to leave school because they can’t afford it,” Marcus said.
Many universities in Arizona do not have the financial ability to help these DACA students, either. Marcus said that UA lacks resources and that there are not enough money and scholarships to help students.
“Money in circulation is nowhere near enough to cover the tuition and money needed by DACA students,” Marcus said.
While scholarships and other sources can help nullify the extra money needed to pay out-of-state tuition, there is a scarcity of these support systems.
“There are not a lot of resources available for them that can help make up the difference in the tuition differential,” Marcus said.
Steele also feels that the ruling will have a largely negative impact on DACA students.
“It’s a really big decision, it’s a big change in the tuition that they’re charged. I know that its impacting DACA students adversely,” Steele said. “I would assume that we would have fewer students who are seeking to earn their education in Arizona.”
The ruling and lack of resources have discouraged Ramos from attending college.
“I only had to get private scholarships. But I can’t get government help and I have to pay full out of state tuition, so how am I going to do that?” Ramos said. “It’s impossible.”
Looking Ahead
Ramos works at a dentistry in Tucson, which he got into because of the Sunset School Dental Program.
“I got pretty lucky to be honest, I’m doing dental technician [work],” he said. “I wanted to be a hygienist, but now I’m working myself up.”
Ramos will not be able to attend college without financial aid.
One option for students would be taking classes online. For instance, UA Online offers the same tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students.
“UA Online is a great option for students who can’t attend class,” Steele said. “The university is working really hard to think about how we can support these individuals.”
To achieve a higher education, it is possible to attend a community college, though tuition will still be increased, or contact organizations that can help provide financial aid.
“There are some really kind, good-hearted individuals in the country and in the state who pay for private scholarships for DACA kids,” Warner said. “I mean you can work full time and maybe pay for community college where you can get an associate’s degree.”
The reality is that DACA students have an uphill battle to fight. In addition to the ruling on in-state tuition, DACA recipients have had to worry about deportation due to President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the DACA program in September 2017.
“With the political climate, [higher education] may actually be on the backburner for a lot of DACA students because a lot of [applications] are coming up for renewals in the next couple months and they don’t know if their DACA is getting renewed,” Gamez said.
What’s Next
If students are forced to leave the country, Ramos said they will only face more struggles. Ramos is worried he will have to endure many more trials if he is deported.
“I don’t know anything about Mexico,” he said. “My Spanish is not that great and I’d probably be homeless if I go back.”
A glimmer of hope may be coming via the court system.
“There are several pending federal court cases challenging the rescission of the DACA program,” Marcus said.
The chances remain slim, though, according to Marcus. For now, all that can be done is raise awareness and strengthen the movement to back the DACA program.
“We need to have more people vote and continue that political struggle, because it’s all a political struggle,” O’Leary said.
For those who support the program, they hope that common morals will triumph over politics.
“I’d like to see decency prevail and do the right thing,” Warner said.
Meanwhile, DACA students will keep trying to convince the U. S. people of their commitment to success and the only country that they have known their entire life.
“I think for most of them, they are American in every sense of the word, except that they were not born here,” O’Leary said. “A goal is to be accepted by this country, allowed to work and be productive members of society, as they already are and to have the threat of deportation lifted so they can go on with their lives.”