Biden Administration Reverses Trump-era Ban on Pandemic Relief Support for Undocumented Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 11, 2021

CONTACT:
Alia El-Assar
202.938.6511
alia@communicationsshop.us

Fernanda Durand
214.402.0186
fernanda@communicationsshop.us

WASHINGTON — Hispanic Federation commends the Biden administration for its reversal of a destructive policy implemented during the Trump era that barred undocumented college students from receiving federal relief grants meant to help pay for essential expenses during the coronavirus pandemic. Colleges will now be able to distribute tens of billions in federal pandemic relief grants for food, housing, and child care expenses to all students, regardless of their immigration status or whether they qualify for federal student aid.

The round of funding to be released today by the Education Department includes $10 billion to support community colleges, more than $2.6 billion for historically Black colleges and universities, $190 million for tribal colleges, and nearly $6 billion for other types of minority-serving institutions, including those serving large populations of Hispanic students. Colleges must pass along approximately half of their relief dollars directly to students in the form of emergency financial aid cash grants. All students, including the thousands of undocumented students protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program, often referred to as “Dreamers”, stand to benefit from this policy reversal.

“Under the Trump administration, thousands of U.S. students were unfairly shut out of federal pandemic assistance given to most of their peers, and forced to choose between their education or basic needs. The Biden administration’s reversal of this egregious policy specifically intended to deny opportunities to our communities is a positive step towards inclusive policies that protect all,” said Laura M. Esquivel, Vice President of Federal Policy and Advocacy at Hispanic Federation. “We encourage President Biden to continue this important work by ensuring undocumented students are able to access Pell grants and free community college, as previously proposed in the American Families Plan. Hispanic Federation will continue to work to bring assistance to all students who want to study, contribute to their families and our economy, and achieve their educational dreams.”