DePaul has a few hundred undocumented students. Undocumented students must find a plethora of external scholarships because they are not eligible for federal/state government scholarships or loans. Inaccessibility to financial aid is an extreme barrier to quality secondary education.
SGA is aware of student concerns regarding President Donald J. Trump’s executive orders and intentions relating to the immigrant, refugee, and undocumented populations. DePaul Student Government Association released a statement condemning Trump’s executive order on immigration and emphasized that we care about refugees and the undocumented community.
General Body Retreat. 2016. Chicago, IL
SGA is partnering with the Undocumented Vincentians and Allies to provide a scholarship for undocumented students that directly advocates for the undocumented community. We feel that this scholarship will provide financial stability for the population to let them know that their peers have their back. This is why we are asking for support from additional student organizations.
About the Undocumented Scholarship
Where will the money come from?
$1 will be applied to the Student Activity Fee for all undergraduate full time students. This will provide approximately $14,000 each quarter for the scholarship.
What are the short-term/long-term effects?
Undocumented students will have the additional financial support to afford a DePaul education. One caveat is the fluctuation of enrollment quarter-to-quarter; however, the SGA President Ric Popp and DePaul administration are coordinating how they will frame the scholarship to make it consistent for the financial planning of undocumented students.
What are the effects on individual students?
Students will have to pay $26 rather than $25 for the Student Activity Fee for full-time undergraduate students. The total annual contribution would be $3 per student. If this additional fee is a problem for students and they cannot afford to attend DePaul, the Office of Financial Aid would be able to discuss how to help make these changes affordable. Additionally, this scholarship allows every student to live the Vincentian Mission by granting educational affordability and helping marginalized communities.
What can we do to support SGA’s initiative?
The DePaul Student Government Association needs the support of 1,500 students by voting for the resolution on the upcoming spring election. DePaul student organizations have the ability to endorse this scholarship to further spread information of the scholarship. If SGA gets the necessary support of the student body, then SGA can formally propose it to the DePaul administration to establish the additional fee.
Conclusion
Numerous universities have similar programs. We hope that the DePaul community supports this initiative to support this marginalized community. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to sga@depaul.edu or come to our open weekly meetings every Thursday at 6:00 in the Office of Student Involvement conference room. We love it when people visit and highly encourage people to vocalize what they want to see in the university to help us frame our future initiatives.
MAP Grant Lobby Day. 2015. Springfield, IL.
Adriana Kemper
Executive Vice President of Operations
Student Government Association