Delaware State University made history last year as the first historically black university to welcome a class of undocumented students through the national DREAMERS scholarship program. This year, the university has announced its second cohort of 47 students to begin their college careers in Dover.
The program awards high-achieving students up to $80,000 towards the completion of an undergraduate degree, if they are from states which prohibit undocumented students from enrolling or claiming in-state residency. Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi are the HBCU states included on this ‘locked-out’ list.
The scholarship recipients are undocumented immigrants who as children came with their parents to the United States and attended public schools. Last year’s inaugural cohort maintained a cumulative 3.7 GPA, a goal that this year’s group hopes to emulate.
Dilan Lozano, a Mexico native who came from Georgia, said his family’s struggles give him a lot of motivation.
“It’s hard for my family to get good jobs,” said Mr. Lozano, who is majoring in Management in the concentration of Marketing. “My brother is a welder, so I would like to start a business with him. I also want to get into real estate.”
