By H. Nelson Goodson
February 3, 2014
Washington, D.C. - Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) after a national review of eligibility requirements for most major local and national U.S. Hispanic non-profit organizations and their partnership funding sources that offer scholarships for inspiring Hispanic students seeking to pursue a college or university education do require for those applying to be U.S. Citizens, legal residents or permanent legal residents in the U.S. Their legal or citizenship requirement automatically excludes DREAMers in every state of the union from getting access to scholarships geared to provide some financial assistance to pursue their higher education dream.
Some of those organizations that were reviewed by HNNUSA were the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National Education Service Centers, Inc. (LNESC) and its partnership funding source, the Ronald McDonald's House Charities/HACER National Scholarship (RMHC/HACER), Dennys Hungry for Education, Hispanic College Fund (HCF), the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the Gates Millennium Scholarships, including other organizations like the United States Hispanic Leadership Institution (USHLI), the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) -Wells Fargo Scholarship Program and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) do require legal status to apply for hundreds of thousands of scholarships totalling millions since 2006 when the immigration rights movement ignited nationally. MALDEF in 2012, began to offer $5K in scholarships for DREAM Act activist, which broke the legal requirement norm used by most Latino organizations that advocate for legalization and a path for citizenship for DREAMers and family members.
In December, the HSF began to award DREAMers scholarships, about 1,700 DACA students submitted applications for scholarships and the HCF was absorbed by HSF and no longer serves as its own entity, according to Marcela Bailey, the Chief Information and Marketing Officer from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
In December, the HSF began to award DREAMers scholarships, about 1,700 DACA students submitted applications for scholarships and the HCF was absorbed by HSF and no longer serves as its own entity, according to Marcela Bailey, the Chief Information and Marketing Officer from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
HNNUSA found that most scholarship providers have continued to discriminate against DREAMers for years, despite undocumented families and DREAMers that have supported LULAC events and patronize fast-food restaurants like McDonald and Denny's. In other words, it's alright for undocumented immigrants to continue to fund LULAC national and local events and march with LULAC signs during immigration reform rallies and to buy burgers and products from McDonald's and Denny's. But, it's a shame that their children are excluded from the very same funding sources that their parents helped generate.
One funding source estimated, that more than $23M scholarships have been awarded, since 1985 and RMHC/HACER scholarships range from $1,000 to $100,000 per student.
It's also unfortunate and wrong that the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation (WHSF) who sponsors Milwaukee's three-day annual Mexican Fiesta, including several LULAC Councils 319 and 322 continue to deny scholarships to DREAMers, while exploiting undocumented immigrants during their events and not giving becas (scholarships) to their children. The WHSF and some of its board members have come forward in support of immigration reform, state driver licenses for the undocumented residents, in-state tuition for DREAMers, but fall short in providing scholarships for Wisconsin DREAMers.
The local Dante Navarro Scholarship created in 2013 in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Foundation-PALM in association with the UWM- Roberto Hernández Center allowed for both the PALM and Navarro scholarships to become accessible for DREAMers to apply for their scholarships.
Full story, scholarships denied by LULAC national, the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation and Mexican Fiesta at link: http://bit.ly/1665WHr
Hispanic scholarship fund made scholarships available for DACA students last December. We had over 1700 students apply for scholarships already. Also, HCF has been absorbed by HSF and no longer exists as its own entity. Please correct your facts.
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