Ethnic Programs & Services

Undocumented and DACA Student Initiatives

What is DACA?

On June 15, 2012, President Obama created a new policy calling for deferred action for certain undocumented young people who came to the U.S. as children. Applications under the program, which is called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), began on August 15, 2012.

On September 5, 2017, President Trump announced that Deferred Action for Early Childhood Arrivals was being rescinded and that new applications for individuals seeking Deferred Action status would no longer be accepted. DACA recipients whose status was expiring between September 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018 could apply for a two-year renewal. Applications for renewals had to be received by October 5, 2017.

On January 9, 2018, U.S. District Court judge William Alsup ordered a nation-wide temporary injunction on the Trump Administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, stating the decision to end the program was based on a flawed legal premise. This decision orders the federal government to resume accepting renewal applications from anyone who had DACA status before Sept. 5, 2017. The USCIS was ordered to post a reasonable public notice on the process to apply to renew DACA.

USCIS is now accepting applications for DACA renewal for anyone who previously received DACA status and whose deferred action had expired on or after September 5, 2016. It also means that those with current DACA statuses that expire after March 5, 2018 may now have a window to file for renewals. If your DACA expires between March 6, 2018 and the end of June, 2018, you now have the ability to file for an additional two year extension. In addition, those with expirations that are more than 150 days out but less than one year, may also be able to file for a two year extension, although the certainty of those approvals are less than those expiring in the next 150 days. New DACA application will not be accepted from anyone who hasn't held the status previously.

As long as your DACA status is valid, it might be possible to qualify for in-state tuition while studying at the University of Cincinnati. This page will describe the procedures necessary to establish your DACA status and the processes you will need to follow to be considered for in-state tuition.

DREAMZone Ally Training

Due to the current political climate and recent policy changes, the Office of Ethnic Programs and Services is currently working with campus and community partners on revamping the DREAMZone Ally Training to be more appropriate in providing an intentional and impactful resource. We hope to have this process complete by the next school year. 

 

Scholarships for Undocumented Students

 

Selected Funding Opportunities Open to Non-US Citizens

Local Resources & Services

Additional Resources