A scholarship program tailored for DACA recipients and undocumented students at Wichita State is open for applications. 

The Dreamer Scholarship program was created in 2018 by the Student Government Association and the Rho Beta chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta. Members of the fraternity proposed the scholarship program as a way to cover education costs for DACA recipients and undocumented students, who cannot receive federal financial aid. 

David Garcia, SGA director of public relations and a member of Sigma Lambda Beta, said the scholarship’s goal is to help all students at WSU receive the same opportunities for higher education. 

“[Undocumented students] don’t have the same privilege to apply for loans [and] grants that a citizen would be able to get,” Garcia said. “We believe that everyone should have access to [higher education], regardless of their status.”

Applicants must be an incoming or current full-time WSU student with a minimum 2.5 grade-point average at WSU or a minimum 3.0 high school GPA for incoming freshmen. 

While all students can apply, undocumented and DACA students will get priority for the $500-1,500 scholarships. A chunk of the money will be raised through fundraising. 

“Every year the Rho Beta chapter of Sigma Lambda Beta raises a certain amount of money, it kind of depends on how the fundraiser goes,” Garcia said. “Then SGA either matches it or has a set amount of money aside.”

Sophomore Jonathan Lozano won the scholarship last year. He said it helped him make ends meet. 

“With the scholarship I was able to afford books for my classes,” he said. “Without my scholarship, I would be pretty tight on my budget and I wouldn’t have been able to get the [supplies] I needed.”

Lozano said he’s grateful Sigma Lambda Beta and SGA created the scholarship to help not only him, but other students with a similar background. 

“I know from experience that doing scholarship research as an undocumented student is tough, they’re hard to find,” he said. “So for the chapter to be able to provide this scholarship through also SGA, the students are happy. They know they have an opportunity to go to college and they do have that financial support they need on campus.”

Applications are due by 5 p.m. Wednesday via ShockerSync.