Statement from President Ojakian on New Scholarship Program for Undocumented Students
Undocumented students can apply for scholarships of up to $20,000 per year for out-of- state and $7,250 per year for in-state to earn a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Connecticut State University.
Today, Mark E. Ojakian, President of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities joined Governor Dannel P. Malloy to announce a new scholarship program for undocumented students also known as DREAMers. In partnership with The Dream.US, undocumented students can apply for scholarships of up to $20,000 per year for out-of- state and $7,250 per year for in-state to earn a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Connecticut State University. The scholarships are fully funded by TheDream.US and begin in the fall 2016 semester. In response, President Ojakian made the following statement:
“We are extremely proud that Eastern, one of our 17 colleges and universities, was selected for this incredibly important scholarship program. Undocumented students are untapped talent that our businesses and our communities need. I hope to see this partnership expand in the future as we continue to work on making public education more accessible to all of our young people who want to improve their lives.”
Background:
- The Opportunity Scholarship is available to DREAMers from 16 states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
- Scholarships are fully funded by The Dream.US and will cover up to $20,000 per year for out-of-state costs of tuition, fees, and on-campus housing and $7,250 per year for in-state costs while earning a bachelor’s degree.
- The deadline for applications is June 9, scholarship recipients will be announced end of June. For a full list of eligibility requirements and information and application information, please visit: http://www.thedream.us/opportunityscholarship/
- The goal is to fund 500 out-of-state DREAMers, 100 in-state DREAMers and raise additional funds for non-DREAMers from Connecticut who need financial assistance.