Undocumented/DACA Students

NIACC welcomes all students, regardless of immigration status.

We accept new certificate, diploma and degree-seeking students each semester—fall, spring and summer. You may submit your online application at any time. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. NIACC Enrollment Advisors can answer your questions about applying, Accuplacer & ALEKS placement testing, transcripts, residency and more. Our dedicated staff is available to help you through the entire admissions process.

If you have questions about applying, you can visit us on campus in the Admissions office or you can email Valeria Gonzalez, Bilingual Enrollment Advisor & Success Coach for Diverse Populations, or call us at 1-888-GO NIACC

Common Questions

I am an undocumented/DACA student. Can I attend North Iowa Area Community College?

Yes, absolutely! NIACC welcomes all students, regardless of immigration status.

I am an undocumented/DACA student. How do I qualify for in-state tuition at NIACC?

If you attended a high school in the state of Iowa and meet the eligibility criteria below, you are eligible to pay in-state tuition rates at NIACC

Attended and graduated from an Iowa high school, and submit an official high school transcript providing evidence of high school attendance and have lived in Iowa for the last 90 days.

I am an undocumented/DACA student and interested in attending NIACC. How do I apply for admission?

Regardless of your immigration status, all students should apply for admission to NIACC through our online Application of Admission.

If you have questions about applying, you can visit us on campus in the Admissions Office, in Hampton @ the NIACC Center One office (5 1st ST. SE, Hampton, IA 50441), by emailing us at Valeria.Gonzalez@niacc.edu or you may call us at 1-888-GO NIACC or 641-422-4075.

I am an undocumented/DACA student and have already completed my NIACC application. Who should I talk to about in-state tuition?

When completing the online application for Admission, please select that you are an undocumented or DACA status student in the application and your information will be sent directly to Valeria Gonzalez, Bilingual Enrollment Advisor & Success Coach for Diverse Populations, who will contact you and provide you more information. If you have met the residency criteria, you will automatically be given in-state tuition. If there are any questions, you may contact Valeria Gonzalez, Valeria.Gonzalez@niacc.edu 641-422-4075 or contact the NIACC Admissions office at 641-422-4245.

I am an undocumented/DACA student – am I eligible for financial aid?

No. Undocumented students, including DACA students and Dreamers, are not eligible for federal student aid. However, you may be eligible for NIACC Admissions Scholarships, NIACC Foundation Scholarships or NIACC’s Dream Scholar Award. Most states and colleges use information collected on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine whether you are eligible for aid. If you have a Social Security number, you may complete the FAFSA, and we encourage you to do so at www.fafsa.gov. However, we first recommend that you check with an Enrollment Advisor to see what types of financial aid you may be eligible to receive and whether completing the FAFSA is the way to apply for that aid. NIACC’s scholarships do not require you to complete the FAFSA, but obtaining your Student Aid Report by completing the FAFSA is helpful when applying to National Scholarships available to undocumented or DACA students.

I am an undocumented/DACA student – are there any scholarships available for me?

While many scholarships do require applicants to be U.S. citizens, several scholarships are available to students who are undocumented/DACA:

NIACC Foundation

The NIACC Foundation offers hundreds of scholarships to help with the cost of tuition, books and fees. Scholarships are another type of financial assistance. Students do not need to qualify for financial aid to apply. All NIACC students who are certificate, diploma or degree-seeking are encouraged to apply. For more information, including the online scholarship application, please visit www.niacc.edu/admissions/tuition-and-aid/scholarships/.

NIACC’s Dream Scholar Award

Empowering and supporting DACAmented Youth to gain the education they need to walk through the door of opportunity when it is opened. NIACC’s Dream Scholar Award provides scholarship opportunities to DACA status students who wish to study at NIACC and who are enrolled in a diploma or degree seeking program. Visit our webpage for more information www.niacc.edu/admissions/tuition-and-aid/scholarships/dream-scholar-award/

Dream Iowa/NIACC Scholarship Match Partnership

See all about Dream Iowa by checking out their website: dreamiowa.us/resources/

The DREAM Iowa Scholarship was established in 2018 and is proudly granted by DREAM Iowa Inc. (501c3). This scholarship is to provide monetary support ($500 – $1000) for immigrant students pursuing higher education. The principal requirements for the DREAM Iowa scholarship are that the student be a high school senior or enrolled in college, demonstrate the spirit to overcome adversity and commitment to our immigrant community. The deadline to apply is May 1st each year. The scholarship is awarded in the fall semester, usually in November.

NIACC has partnered with Dream Iowa to provide matching scholarship dollars to recipients of the Dream Iowa Scholarship up to a total of $5000. Student must enroll full time in a program of study, and maintain full time status to qualify. Students who have qualified must also complete the NIACC Foundation Scholarship application to receive matching scholarship funds.

Click here to access the online application: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdt75FavZOmhsRD4eDz4fYuVEDN9nRBZK9B1Bja1WZ6G1KrTg/viewform

NIACC Promise Scholarship

The NIACC Promise is a new scholarship that will provide free tuition for qualifying Area 2 (NIACC Service Area) high school and home school graduates to help them realize their dream of attending and completing college. The scholarship will be available to current Area 2 graduates who meet the eligibility criteria including undocumented/DACA students. As you are unable to complete the FAFSA requirement, the FAFSAforecaster will be completed with financial information and additional documentation and verification may be required. Current NIACC students may also qualify if they meet the second year participation criteria.

The NIACC Promise scholarship is a last-dollar award; it will be applied to a student’s account after all other federal, state, outside and other NIACC aid/scholarships is applied. It is renewable for up to 4 semesters. Eligibility criteria for the program includes graduation from a NIACC district high school or homeschool within the service area, an Expected Family Contribution of $15,000 or less as determined by the Free Application for Financial Aid, full-time enrollment (minimum 12 credits per semester) at NIACC, and the completion of four hours of community service each semester. More information at: www.niacc.edu/admissions/tuition-and-aid/scholarships/niacc-promise/

For undocumented and DACAmented students who are unable to complete the FAFSA (as you are not eligible to receive federal funding), you will need to complete the FAFSA4caster, which is an electronic worksheet that will calculate an estimated EFC to help determine eligibility and you will be required to provide proof of income, paystubs, W2’s, copy of tax returns, etc. Contact Valeria.Gonzalez@niacc.edu for help with the process.

The steps required to apply for the NIACC Promise scholarship must be completed by March 1. To learn more about eligibility criteria visit the NIACC website at www.niacc.edu/niaccpromise or contact Bilingual Enrollment Advisor Valeria Gonzalez at Valeria.Gonzalez@niacc.edu, or 641-422-4075, with any questions.

Testimonials

As a Dream Scholar recipient I have found the scholarship to be very helpful and crucial to my college career. Before attending NIACC I was debating whether or not I would be going to college because of my economic situation, but being awarded this scholarship gave me hope of getting a college education. Since I have been attending NIACC here in Mason City I have had to move out of my parent’s house from Webster City and get an apartment to live close to college. I currently work at Best Buy here in Mason City and I work about 24 hours every week. I know for a fact that if I hadn’t gotten the Dream Scholar Award Scholarship, being a full time college student and having to work enough to pay for all my living expenses, would be very difficult, stressing, and would hold me back from doing exceptional in college.
–Ehud Ortiz, Industrial Systems Technology Major

The NIACC Dream Scholar Award has been very valuable during my fall and spring semester since it relieved some of the stress any typical college student may have. Not being able to go to college because you cannot afford it, is quite discouraging. I have been able to put all my hard work and effort in each one of my classes due to the fact that I am not constantly thinking about my financial situation. My goal is to let others know that college is not as expensive as it seems. I want to become a motivation for those who have similar backgrounds as me, to encourage them to implement their dreams. After all the accomplishments that have been completed, from preschool to high school, there is more to fulfill. All the achievements that have been made come with a reward, that reward may be one scholarship or enough scholarships to pay your tuition. My triumph has led me to be awarded with the NIACC Dream Scholar Award. Everything is possible.
–Yoselin Torres, Medical Assistant Major

Many scholarships have their own applications, deadlines and eligibility requirements. Please visit the following websites for more information on the scholarship application process.

Barten Law Firm Scholarship for DACA students in Iowa
www.immigrationiowa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/DACA-Scholarship-Application-2-1.pdf

College Green Light
blog.collegegreenlight.com/blog/updated-for-2016-scholarships-for-undocumented-students/#sthash.wG99HR3T.H9TdFTB1.dpbs

Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC)
www.e4fc.org/scholarshiplists.html

Latino Heritage Festival of Iowa Scholarship
www.latinoheritagefestival.org

Latinos Unidos of Iowa
form.jotform.com/latinosunidosofiowa/latinos-unidos-of-iowa-scholarship-

Proteus
www.proteusinc.net/programs/national-farmworker-jobs-program/educational-services/

Mary E. Campos Scholarship
www.facebook.com/MECScholarship/

Migrant Farmworker Scholarships
https://migrant.net/scholarships/

Qué Llueva Café Scholarship
www.ca-core.org/que_llueva_cafe_scholarship_program

Univisión’s “Es El Momento” Scholarship
univision.hsfts.net/#/

Vamos a la Universidad
www.facebook.com/vamosuniversidad