Democratic Proposal Would Expand Federal Financial Aid To Dream Students

For many students, federal financial aid makes the difference between being able to afford college and never attending. For Dreamer students, those resources are not available, leaving many of them struggling to pay for the college education they have dreamed of. Those struggles might be a little easier if a new proposal becomes law.

Last week, the House Appropriations Committee released a spending proposal for higher education that would, for the first time ever, expand access to federal financial aid to students who hold Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, also known as Dreamers.

The proposal to open federal student aid to Dreamers was included in a funding plan that would increase funding for the Department of Education (ED) by 13 percent for the fiscal year 2023. The plan also includes a $500 dollar increase to the maximum Pell Grant and increases funding for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving Institutions (MSIs). Additionally, the funding plan would increase funding for childcare support for students and provide additional funds for adult and technical education.

The bill was approved on a party line vote of 32-24.

College is hard enough to pay for even with access to federal student aid; providing dreamers access to federal financial aid would make a massive difference in helping…