Are you a high school student in the US looking for a grant to study? TheDream.US scholarship is for high achieving US High School and Community College graduates who are unable to afford the cost of attending college. Also, TheDream.US scholarship for DREAMers is in the form of National and Opportunity scholarships. This is to be able to sponsor both students who can access in-state tuition and those who can’t through the Dream.US partner colleges.
What makes TheDream.US scholarship exceptional is the diversity they serve. This high school scholarship is not just for any American. No, it is for undocumented immigrant youths in the United State who came into the country at a young age.
These US immigrant students, or DREAMers, graduate in large numbers from high school every year and are unable to access Pell Grants, federal loan, or federal work-study. So, this scholarship exists to ensure that highly motivated DREAMers get access to enough funding for their college education.
In this post, we will give you comprehensive information about the two kinds of Dream.US scholarships. We will also explain how you can apply for the one for which you are eligible as well as answer some valid questions you may already be asking.
About TheDream.US Scholarship
TheDream.US began operating to cater to the educational need of Immigrant youths in the United State. Spotting that there are 1.8 million DREAMers living in the US, of which 98,000 graduate from high school annually, they saw the need to ensure that qualified DREAMers don’t remain at home because of lack of funds for college.
TheDream.US scholarship operates under the framework of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA gives DREAMers the right to remain in the US and work legally in the States. However, it doesn’t qualify them to be citizens and be eligible for federal or state aid which will support their education.
Also, some of these DREAMers are in locations in the USA where they cannot attend colleges in the state or must have to pay high out-of-state tuition fees.
Thus, theDream.US scholarship exists to provide financial support to DREAMers who not only show academic promise but also a desire to make a difference in the world. So, through over 70 partners in 16 states in the US, Dreamers can attend college without any financial burden.
So far, there are over 5,000 DREAMers who have received scholarship awards from TheDream.US in either their National Scholarship or Opportunity scholarship.
Level/Field of Study
TheDream.US scholarship is available to graduating high school or Community College students in the USA. These students can apply this scholarship to any field of undergraduate study in TheDream.US partner schools.
Host Nationality
TheDream.US is a US-based scholarship organization that provides scholarships to Immigrant youths in the USA. They don’t have any other office in other countries of the world.
Eligible Nationality
TheDream.US scholarship is available to Immigrant students in the US. Also, with TheDream.US adoption of the new immigration policy, DREAMers who came into the USA before November 1, 2014, are now eligible for the scholarship.
However, we have International Scholarships for you if you’re an International Student
TheDream.US Immigration Eligibility
To be able to apply for any of TheDream.US scholarships, you must first have current DACA or TPS or certify that you meet these immigration eligibility criteria:
You may like to know whether you can attend other colleges with a GED.
TheDream.US National Scholarship
The National Scholarship Program is one of the scholarships which TheDream.US provides. This scholarship is like the “Pell Grant” for highly motivated DREAMers who show significant financial need. However, these immigrant youths must demonstrate a commitment to community service as well as academic excellence.
Additionally, DREAMers can apply this scholarship to an undergraduate degree or Associate degree. Also, while it provides mainly an award for tuition, some students may receive an additional stipend to cover books, supplies, and transportation.
Furthermore, you can renew TheDream.US scholarship each year if you keep meeting the eligibility criteria.
First of all, you don’t decide which TheDream.US scholarship you’re going to apply for. The kind of scholarship you’re eligible for depends on your state. DREAMers in states that are not locked-out, like Virginia, can only apply for the TheDream.US National Scholarship program.
Next, you have to meet the eligibility criteria of either High School and HSE Program Graduates or Community College Graduate.
For High School Graduates, you must:
1. Have significant unmet financial need;
2. Have graduated or will graduate from a US high school or high school equivalent diploma by the end of the 2024 academic year;
3. Have graduated or will graduate with a GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale;
4. Not have been previously enrolled in a four-year institution or bachelor program or earned more than 21 credits in a community college.
5. Intend to enroll for a full-time associate or bachelor’s degree program at a Partner College no later than the Spring term or 2024 and
6. Be eligible for in-state tuition at the Partner College you want to attend.
For Community College Graduate, you must meet the same eligibility criteria for High School graduates except for the GPA criteria.
For the GPA criteria here, you must have graduated with a Community College GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale;
DREAMers who win TheDream.US national scholarship will receive an award of $14,500 for associate’s degree or $29,000 for a bachelor’s degree to cover tuition.
However, some scholars may get an additional $4,000 of $1,000 each year for books, supplies, and transportation.
To apply for the National Scholarship Program of TheDream.US, you must first know which scholarship is available to you for your state. You can know this by visiting the “scholarship website” below.
If the scholarship available to your state is the National Scholarship Program, then proceed with the following:
1. Certify that you have current DACA or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) authorization. You will also provide your Employment Authorization Document Number (EAD) and the expiration date;
OR
2. Meet TheDream.US immigration eligibility criteria above.
Once you can certify any of these, click on the button below to start your application.
If you’ll be attending a community college in the USA you can start by checking out these 20 Best Community Colleges in California
TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship
The Opportunity Scholarship Program is the other of the scholarships which TheDream.US provides. This scholarship is for DREAMers who live in one of the locked-out states. This scholarship offers an amount towards tuition fees alone in one of the Opportunity Partner College. Also, it is renewable each year so long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirement and retain full-time enrollment at the partner college.
TheDream.US Opportunity Partner Colleges include:
Arizona State is one of the locked-out states that are eligible for TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship. However, to know if your state is eligible for this scholarship, visit the “Scholarship Website” below.
To be eligible for the TheDream.US Opportunity scholarship, you must first meet the immigration eligibility criteria above.
In addition to that, you must certify that you:
1. Have significant unmet financial need;
2. Live in and have graduated or will graduate from a US high school in a locked-out state by the end of the 2024 academic year;
3. Have graduated or will graduate with a GPA of 2.8 or better on a 4.0 scale;
4. Have taken the SAT or ACT;
5. Not have been previously enrolled in a four-year institution or a bachelor program; and
6. Intend to relocate to and enroll for a full-time bachelor’s degree program at an Opportunity Partner College no later than the Spring term or 2024.
DREAMers who win TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship will receive an award of $80,000 for a bachelor’s degree to cover tuition.
To apply for TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship, you must provide the following:
1. Demographic Information:
You will have to certify that you have a current DACA or TPS authorization as well as meet the TheDream.US immigration eligibility criteria above.
2. Academic Information:
First, you will select your 1st choice and 2nd choice Partner College. Next, you will provide a copy of your official high school transcript showing your grades and cumulative GPA, SAT or ACT test scores, and a transcript of any community college credit you earned after high school. You must upload these documents before 11:59 p.m. PST on January 28, 2024.
3. Financial Information:
You will first ascertain whether you are a dependent student or an independent student. Based on any of these staus, you will provide your annual household income, number in the household supported by this income, and the number of dependents who this income will support to attend college in 2024.
4. Responsibilities:
You will prove how responsible you are by your volunteering services and home responsibilities. These are the indicators of your motivation which TheDream.US looks at.
5. Essays:
You will provide two essays to the selection committee of TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship. One of the essay is a 750-word essay on Your Educational and Career Goals. The Second Essay is also a 750-word essay about Overcoming Adversity.
Essay Instructions
For Essay 1, you will describe your educational and career goals and explain what or who has inspired these goals. You will also explain the most significant challenge to your successful completion of college (aside from financial need) as well as how you hope to overcome the challenge.
For Essay 2, you will describe a challenging family or personal circumstance that has affected your participation in school, work, or community activities. You will also explain how you overcame this challenge as well as the lesson you learned from the challenge.
If you can provide all of these, then proceed to apply for the scholarship by clicking the button below.
You can also check out these Scholarship Essay Examples That Won Money; their Format, and Steps
TheDream.US Partner Colleges
TheDream.US partners with over 70 colleges in the US to provide you a seamless quality college education. Eligible states for the National Scholarship programs can apply for any of these schools which includes but are not restricted to Marymount University, Dominican University, Arizona State University, Colorado State University, and Delaware State University.
However, states eligible for the Opportunity Scholarship Program can only apply to the four schools which we have listed above.
Meanwhile, there exist some Partner College restrictions for some states and students from those states.
TheDream.US Partner College Restrictions
| State | High School Graduate (HSG) Scholarship | Community College Graduate Scholarship |
| Arizona | • Arizona State University: Must apply for admission to ASU prior to the closing of the scholarship application round | |
| Illinois | • The University of Illinois-Chicago and Northeastern Illinois University: HSG applicants cannot select these colleges • Arrupe College and Dominican University: Must apply for admission to these colleges prior to the close of the scholarship application round | • University of Illinois-Chicago: Must apply for admissions prior to the closing of the scholarship round |
| Virginia | All VA Partner Colleges: Must have DACA to qualify for in-state tuition George Mason University: HSG applicants cannot select this college | • Must have DACA to qualify for in-state tuition |
| Washington | • All WA Partner Colleges: HSG applicants cannot select these colleges | • University of Washington – Seattle: Must apply for admissions to the college by February 15. |
Scholarship Application Deadline & Important Dates
TheDream.US has different application deadlines for the National and Opportunity Scholarships.
Meanwhile, the application for TheDream.US scholarship is now open.
Below is the timeline for TheDream.US scholarship:
TheDream.US National Scholarship Deadline
Application Closes
Ensure to submit your application before this day. We encourage you to begin your application early enough.
Awardees Notification
Successful awardees get notification around this period of time.
TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship Deadline
Application Closes
Ensure to submit your application before this day. We encourage you to begin your application early enough.
Awardees Notification
Successful awardees get notification around this period of time.
FAQs On TheDream.US Scholarship 2024 | National & Opportunity
No, if you do not have DACA or TPS you may apply for TheDream.US award if you meet the Immigration eligibility criteria. You will also have to attest that you will apply for lawful presence or lawful status as soon as you are legally able to do so.
You will continue to be eligible for the scholarship. However, as long as DACA or TPS is in effect, you must continue to renew your authorization to remain eligible.
You must be eligible for in-state tuition if the college is a public institution. If you are not sure if you are eligible for in-state tuition, you should consult with the appropriate Partner College to determine their eligibility requirements.
While you are applying to change your immigration status, you are still eligible to receive TheDream.US Scholarship. However, once you obtain permanent residency status, you will no longer be eligible for the scholarship because you will be eligible to apply for federal financial aid, which includes the Pell Grant, federal loans, and federal work-study.
No. You can be (1) a current high school senior who will graduate with a GPA of 2.5 or greater by the end of the 2019-20 academic year; (2) a high school graduate with a GPA of 2.5 or greater, or (3) a student who has earned or will earn a high school equivalency diploma by the end of the 2024 academic year with a score that is equivalent to a GPA of 2.5 or greater.
It depends. If you are enrolled in a community college and have not earned more than 21 credits, you are eligible. However, if you have been or are currently enrolled in a 4-year university you are not eligible.
No, you are not eligible for TheDream.US scholarship if you are or have previously been enrolled in a 4-year institution or a 4-year bachelor’s degree program.
You should apply for the degree that best fits your educational plan and career goals. Your choice of an associate or bachelor’s degree does not determine whether or not you will receive a scholarship award. What is important is that you have a thoughtful career plan that will enable you to fulfill your career goals.
No, but you must renew your scholarship each academic year. You will be asked to confirm your continuing eligibility and provide a copy of your transcript. If you choose not to renew by the indicated deadline, you will lose your scholarship.
No. If your cumulative GPA is below 2.5, you must work with your Scholar Advisor to develop a plan with strategies and resources that will help you improve your GPA. This plan might include an increase in the frequency of meetings and communications with your Scholar Advisor; tutoring; study groups; or other support services. However, if your GPA remains below a 2.0 for more than one academic year, TheDream.US will terminate your scholarship.
Once you have entered college, TheDream.US expects you to attend each academic term/semester (not including summers) until you have completed your degree. If special circumstances make it necessary or advisable for you to leave college for a period, you must immediately notify both the International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS) and your Scholar Advisor by email and explain the reason for your leave of absence and the date you will return. If you do not return at the end of the approved break in enrollment, however, your scholarship will be terminated. You cannot have a break in enrollment for more than two terms if you are in a semester based college or three terms if you are in a quarterly based college.
No, you may only use the scholarship funds for an undergraduate associate or bachelor’s degree.
No, you will not lose your scholarship. The scholarship will still be transferred so long as you are admitted to and attending one of our Partner Colleges and you have met your scholarship commitments. However, some Partner Colleges require TheDream.US prior approval before you can transfer your award.
More Questions?
If you find that you need to know more about any of these DREAMers scholarship, you can:
Send an email to TheDream.US@applyISTS.com and reference TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship Program or TheDream.US National Scholarship Program in the subject line.
Or,
Place a phone call through the Telephone No.: 1-(855) 670-ISTS (4787) and ask for the TheDream.US Opportunity Scholarship Program or TheDream.US National Scholarship Program.
We Also Recommend
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
Comments are closed.