New York Dreamers: Welcome!

NY Dream Act application is now LIVE!

The New York Dream Act provides undocumented students who meet the requirements, access to benefits such as in-state tuition, New York State-administered financial aid, and scholarships. This website is a tool to help guide you and/or others in your community through the process of completing the Dream Act application and explains how you and/or others in your community can benefit from this act being implemented.

Why is the NY Dream Act important?

After nearly a decade of youth organizing, the NY Dream Act finally passed! As a result of that, many undocumented immigrant students will have access to apply for the state-funded Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to go to College. This makes New York part of the 18 states in the U.S to provide tuition assistance to undocumented students. Undocumented youth will now have financial support to attend higher education and pursue their dreams.

What are the requirements?

In order to be eligible for the NYS financial aid awards under the Dream Act you must meet the following requirements:

You have lived in the state of NY for 2+ years
You are undocumented or have DACA, a U-Visa, T-Visa, or Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

AND you MUST meet ONE of the following criteria:

You applied for attendance in an undergraduate program at a NYS college within five years of receiving your NYS High School diploma or High School equivalency diploma (GED).
You applied for attendance in a graduate program at a NYS college within ten years of receiving your NYS HS diploma or HS equivalency diploma

What do you qualify for?

The NY Dream Act provides access to:

Public Institutions – You can apply to CUNY and SUNY in order to qualify for state financial aid. Review lists of all CUNYs and SUNYs.
Private Institutions – Review list of private colleges and universities in NY State.
Tuition Assistance – Access to ‘in-state resident tuition‘ (discounted tuition that is reserved for people who prove they are residents of New York State, compared to ‘out-of-state tuition’) and TAP (Tuition Assistance Program). TAP helps eligible New York residents pay tuition at approved schools in New York State. Because TAP is a grant, it does not have to be paid back.
Scholarships – Check out NYS Scholarships & Awards and national scholarships open to Dreamers.
Please notice that the NY Dream Act is a two step process, once you submit your application you have to wait until HESC receives your application and if you qualify you will be prompted in the first page to apply for TAP. Once applying for TAP you will have to submit your financial proof documents like your taxes or self reporting form.

NY Dream Act application is live!

Step-by-step instructions

HOW TO APPLY

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions!

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