The Partner College Weekly |
| 2026 New Scholar Welcome: Hope. Dream. Act.
Thursday, August 6, 2026 at 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT / 11 am PT | | |
Our Partner College staff are a cornerstone of our Scholarship program. Please join us in celebration of our incoming class, as we welcome almost 1,000 New Scholars onto your campuses nationwide. This year's theme is "Hope. Dream. Act.". These are three words that speak directly to the spirit of our Scholars and this moment in time. Together, these words are not just a theme — they are a charge.
We have an amazing lineup of speakers, please register now and encourage your New and Current Scholars to register as well! If you are hosting a watch party, please encourage your attending Scholars to still register.
Questions: Chris.Aviles@thedream.us
| | Last Chance Renewal Round Open Now through Sunday, August 9! | | |
Scholars whose Renewals were denied due to not starting it, not submitting it, or those with transcript issues, now have a last chance opportunity to complete their Renewal by August 9.
Scholars must log into their ISTS Scholar Portal as soon as possible to complete their Renewal and track the status of their transcript upload.
Please track and reach out to your Scholars eligible for this last chance Renewal by running the PC Scholar Report in your ISTS PC Portal and then filtering on column AD “Renewal Eligibility” for the following statuses:
- Renewal Denied – Incomplete
- Renewal Denied – Not Started
- Renewal Denied – Transcript Issue
- Will renew in Round 2
Note: Late Renewal decisions will be made at the end of August, which may impact their Fall payment. Scholars that do not renew now will lose their scholarship for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. No exceptions will be made!
Questions: Yajaira.Gonzalez@thedream.us
| | Thank you for your Summer 2026 EVR Submissions! | | |
ISTS is currently processing a batch of EVRs. They will notify this group as soon as the payments are sent. To check your Summer 2026 EVR Status, please click here.
After this batch is sent, we will begin processing the final group of Summer EVRs.
Note: We need to hear from the following Partner College regarding their Summer EVR and when to expect it:
Heads up: the Fall 2026 EVR instructions will go out at the end of August.
| | One Time $500 Grant Tracking Now Available! | |
ISTS has added a new column to your PC Scholar Report, “Scholar Survey Status” (column AC). You can use this column to track which Scholars completed their Scholar Survey and are eligible for the one-time $500 grant this Fall. We are also using this column to help you track the New Scholars and whether they are eligible for the grant by completing their “Scholar Commitments”.
Here is a reminder of the 4 mandatory requirements New Scholars must complete to receive the grant:
- Complete their Scholar Commitment Form by August 6
- Complete their Acknowledgement Form by August 6
- Complete their Initial Immigration Screening Form by August 6
- Enroll in and attend classes this Fall 2026
New Scholars can check the completion of the items above via the “Your Commitments Hub” on their ISTS Scholar Portal.
Questions: Chris.Aviles@thedream.us
| | REMINDER: Let Us Know of Scholar Emergency Cases | | |
As the first in line of contact with our Scholars on-campus, we deeply appreciate your immediate notification of a Scholar’s immigration emergency. To help us identify and determine whether TheDream.US can assist with a Scholar’s immigration case in any way, please bookmark this form. Complete the form as soon as you are aware of a Scholar that is:
- Detained, facing removal (not detained), deported
- Self-deported or intends to self-deport
- Experiencing DACA renewal issues
Questions? Email Susan.Collins@thedream.us
| | Summer Career Series Recordings + Resources Now Available | | |
Our 2026 Summer Career Series wrapped up last week, and we’re grateful to all Partner Colleges that helped spread the word! Also a special shout out to our 7 Partner Colleges that hosted live screenings of the event on their campus: Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago, BMCC, Dominican University, ECSU, MSU Denver, San Antonio College, and UNLV!
Session recordings are now available here. All recordings are private (unlisted) so individuals will need the direct link to view. Please do not share these links publicly. NOTE: the first 2 session recordings will only be accessible until August 31, 2026.
Additional resources, including presentation slides, can be found here.
| | San Antonio College’s Scholars and Alumni attending their on-campus live screening of the 2026 Summer Career Series! | | |
Please share with your Scholars and Alumni. NOTE: All individuals who registered for the Summer Career Series will be emailed this information.
P.S. Interested in attending another virtual career conference? The UndocuProfessionals Network invites you to register for their 2026 UndocuProfessionals Conference happening Monday, August 24 and Tuesday, August 25. This conference will bring together undocumented students, immigrant professionals, entrepreneurs, allies, and community leaders to build connections, gain practical career resources, and strengthen community. Note there is a conference registration fee.
| | TheDream.US Graduate Loan Scholarship Closes this Month! | |
TheDream.US Graduate Loan Scholarship Program is now open! These funds are available to any TheDream.US Alumni with or without DACA or TPS, taking out a private graduate school loan for the 2026-2027 academic year. This scholarship is designed to help lessen Alumni’s loan debt and the amount that needs to be paid back once they complete their graduate studies.
The private loans can be from any company including the Dreamers Graduate Loan Program, Discover, Ascend, Self-Help, etc. The deadline for this year’s graduate loan scholarship is August 31, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT.
For more information on this program, visit our Graduate Resources Page. Alumni can apply through their ISTS Scholar Portal (program key: Dreamgraduate).
Questions? Chris.Aviles@thedream.us
| USCIS Application Fee Loans | |
Through our partnership with Mission Asset Fund (MAF), TheDream.US is providing zero interest, zero fee loans to help Scholars/Alum pay their USCIS application fee for a variety of change of status requests. They can request an USCIS Application Fee Loan for green cards, citizenship, family petition, DACA, TPS, and more. These loans are available to our Scholars and Alum nationwide.
Scholars and Alum only pay back exactly what they borrow within a ten-month span, while also building their credit. Check out the details of the program on MAF’s website.
Questions? Chris.Aviles@thedream.us
| | 1-1 Immigration Screenings for Current Scholars | | |
Screenings are designed to help your Scholars understand their immigration status and any options available for adjustment. Now more than ever, it is important for your Scholars to have access to an immigration attorney they can trust. Screenings are free, confidential and will not affect their scholarship in any way.
We need your help to encourage Scholars to sign up by completing the Initial Screening Request Form. If they have already completed one of our screenings, they should not submit a new request.
Questions: Chris.Aviles@thedream.us
| | Chicago Tribune Front Page Feature Highlights Mock Graduation | |
A front page feature in the Sunday, August 3 edition of the Chicago Tribune chronicled the 25-year fight to pass the Dream Act, led by generations of Dreamers and Senator Dick Durbin.
The story featured images and details from the recent symbolic graduation we hosted on Capitol Hill on July 22, which brought together Dreamer Scholars and Alumni, elected officials, advocates, families, and allies to honor Senator Durbin’s leadership and renew the call for Congress to finally pass the Dream Act in light of increased targeting of Dreamers. Filled with quotes from Gaby Pacheco and beautiful images from our event, it’s a must read.
Read the Chicago Tribune article here.
| Critical Legal Memo: In-State Tuition & Scholarships for Undocumented Students | |
We want to make sure you and your leadership teams have this important resource: In-State Tuition and Scholarships for Undocumented Students: What Institutions Should Know.
This legal memo, prepared by the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, provides high-level guidance for college presidents and general counsels on how institutions can lawfully offer in-state tuition and scholarships to undocumented Dreamer students. We encourage you to read it and share it with your leadership and legal teams to ensure your campus is aligned with the latest considerations.
| Toolkit- How to Support Detained or Deported Students | |
TheDream.US in collaboration with Presidents’ Alliance and Institutional Solutions created the “Steps Campuses can Take to Support Detained or Deported Students”, a resource designed to help colleges and universities take a proactive approach in identifying and providing appropriate support for students, faculty, and staff in the event of detention or deportation. Review the guide for helpful tips you can implement on your campus!
Questions? Email Chris.Aviles@thedream.us
| PC Career Development Events Fund | |
Your college can get up to a $2,000 grant to host a Career Event for Scholars this Fall regardless of work authorization. Events should primarily focus on NEBOs, entrepreneurship, small business ownership, and independent contract work.
Check out our toolkit for helpful suggestions on event structures and key learning objectives. Apply now to reserve your funds for a Spring or Fall event.
Questions? Email Chris.Aviles@thedream.us
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| | For all your questions, please refer to our TheDream.US Inquiry Map | | | | |
