Renewal Season is June 1-22, 2026! Renewal Forms are Now Live!

3,000+ Scholars are eligible to renew this year and have been sent emails with instructions to complete their Renewal Form. Scholars should check the email tied to their ISTS Scholar Portal. Scholars can also access their Renewal Form directly, by logging into their ISTS Scholar Portal under their awarded applications.

Reminder: Scholars must track the status of their Renewal Form to ensure it transitions from “Submitted” to “Complete” – which means ISTS has verified and approved their uploaded transcript. Incomplete Renewal Forms that are marked only as "Submitted" will not be reviewed.

We encourage you to reach out to Scholars and stress the importance of renewing their scholarship and tracking the status of their Renewal Form. It is essential that everyone listed as "Eligible to Renew" completes the Renewal Form. It is also important for Scholars to decline their Renewal if they do not plan to renew their scholarship so we have accurate records as it relates to graduating, no longer attending a Partner College, establishing permanent residency, etc. This information helps us improve our data and reports!

Reminder: Please identify Scholars eligible to renew by running the "PC Scholar Report" in your ISTS PC Portal (filter on column AC “Renewal Eligibility” and select “2026-27 – Eligible to Renew”).

The hard deadline to complete Renewal Forms is Monday, June 22, 2026. Scholars that do not complete their renewal will lose their scholarship!

No exceptions will be made!

If you have any questions, please contact us at Askus@thedream.us

Now Accepting Summer Term EVRs!

The Partner Colleges on this list can begin submitting Summer term EVRs once terms have started and classes are set. Note: Newly Awarded Scholars at these Partner Colleges are eligible for Summer funds and can be included in this EVR.

To check your Summer EVR Status, please click here.

Please make sure to read all the way through the EVR instructions or watch our 5-min tutorial video to get a refresher on the process. These resources can be found in the Program Management section of our website.

The deadline to submit the Summer EVR is July 31, 2026.

PAST DUE: ISTS ACH Micro-Deposit Return

We need the following 6 Partner Colleges to take immediate action and return the micro-deposit before June 5, 2026.

• Marymount University
• Medgar Evers College
• Miami Dade College
• New Jersey City University
• St. Mary’s College of Maryland
• SUNY Old Westbury

Communications have gone out since April 1 and the deadline for the return was April 30. Thank you for your prompt action!

Please use these ACH instructions.

• Please return the exact amount received (should be $1.00).
• If possible, include the reference noted in the transaction to help ISTS accurately track the transaction.
• Email invoicing@applyISTS.com once the transfer has been submitted.

If your Partner College is listed here, reach out to the folks in the department responsible for making the return and confirm they are processing it. Don’t assume that it is already being taken care of.

You can continue to track the return status of the micro-deposits here!

Following the micro-deposit return instructions completes our security protocols for processing payments and refunds.

If you have any questions, please contact invoicing@applyISTS.com and Camila.Salkov@thedream.us.

2025-26 Scholar Survey PC Leaderboard: 
Week 3 Highlights & Wrap-Up

The main Scholar Survey response period officially came to a close on June 1, and we ended on a high note: we reached our goal of an 80% response rate! 2,978 Scholars completed the survey by the deadline, and we have now reached over 3,000 responses!

After four weeks of wild leaderboard movement, big jumps, and strong outreach across Partner Colleges, our final overall winner for the 2025-26 Scholar Survey is… North Central College with a 100% response rate! Congratulations on taking this year’s top spot!

This year’s final leaderboard was especially exciting because our top three PCs all reached 100% completion. That is a major milestone, congratulations to Our Lady of the Lake University and Roosevelt University on this incredible achievement!

We are also excited to recognize Nevada State University, which had the highest response rate among Partner Colleges with 40+ survey recipients, reaching 96% completion among 53 Scholars. To celebrate the strength of this year’s results, all four winning Partner Colleges will receive exclusive TheDream.US stickers!

Thank you to every Partner College that sent reminders, followed up with Scholars, and helped keep momentum through the final week. The survey will remain open through June for Scholars who still need to complete it, but this closes out our main response push. As always, we appreciate your partnership and support throughout this year’s Scholar Survey season!

Questions: Vernisa.Donaldson@thedream.us

Welcome our New TheDream.US Interns!

We’re excited to welcome 10 new summer interns at TheDream.US! Our interns include:

• Nourelhoda - Marketing & Social Media Communications Intern at NP Agency: Nourelhoda is a double major in Government and International Politics and Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. Her fun fact: she runs a foodie social media page where she explores hidden gems around the DMV area.
• Francheska - Digital Content Creator Intern: Francheska is the new Digital Content Creator intern! She attends CUNY Baruch College and is majoring in Marketing Management. Her fun fact: she loves tangerines.
• Moraima - Digital Content Creator Intern: Moraima attends the University of North Texas at Dallas and is majoring in Communications and Digital Media with a concentration in Strategic Communication. Her fun fact: she had pet guinea pigs. 
• Brajan - Advocacy Intern: Brajan is studying Legal Studies at Purdue Global University. Brajan is a bilingual creative and business leader with experience in commercial photography, investment management, and nonprofit leadership. His fun fact: He founded the Winston-Salem Soccer Association to build community through accessible soccer. 
• Mariajose - Advocacy Intern: Mariajose attends Lynn University and is majoring in Social Impact and Entrepreneurship. Her fun fact: she loves playing pickleball with her church family.
• Juan - Research & Data Intern: Juan attends City College of New York and is majoring in Computer Science. His fun fact: he is Ecuadorian but dances for a Mexican Folkloric club.
• Carmen - Scholarship Operations and Data Intern: Carmen is the new Scholarship Operations and Data intern! She attends Purdue University Global and is majoring in Information Technology. Her fun fact: she has the cilantro gene. 
• Sofia - Scholarship Programs Intern: Sofia is an English Creative Writing student attending Arizona State University Online. Her fun fact: her favorite novella is The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and has a tattoo of its protagonist.
• Edwin - Scholar and Partner College Supports Intern: Edwin attends Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and is majoring in Computer Science with a specialization in Cybersecurity and Information Technology. His fun fact: he founded his university’s first student organization supporting undocumented students and loves playing soccer outdoors.
• Kevin - Career Connections Intern: Kevin is a student at South Texas College. He is majoring in Computer and Information Technology. Currently, he serves as the Career Connections Intern. His fun fact: he earns extra income by selling various items on eBay.

Special, One-time $500 Grant this Fall

As a follow up to the conversation during the May PCPH, we will provide you details on how to track who is eligible to receive the grant in the coming weeks.

This grant is available to both our National and Opportunity Scholars provided they complete each of the following steps:

• Completed their Scholar Survey by June 1
• Complete their Renewal Form by June 22
• Successfully renew and enroll for classes this Fall

Grants will be disbursed to the Partner Colleges through the Fall Enrollment Verification Report process and must be disbursed in full to Scholars.

Please encourage Scholars to complete their Renewal Form before June 22, 2026. Scholars that do not complete their renewal will lose their scholarship! No exceptions will be made!

Questions: Hyein.Lee@thedream.us

Recap - The Dream Act Pt. 3: Legislative Advocacy

Last week we led a virtual legislative advocacy training to discuss how a congressional office runs, how to request a meeting, and how to ask U.S. Senators and Representatives to support the Dream Act.

Watch the recording here.

We continue The Dream Act series on Tuesday, June 30 at 6 pm ET.

2026-2027 New Scholar Onboarding

Yesterday, June 2, we sent all 2026-2027 New Scholars the second of five Scholarship Onboarding emails: Immigration Screenings and First Summer Office Hour.

The email instructs Scholars to complete their mandatory immigration screening, register for our Summer Office Hours and review their NEW “Your Commitments Hub” linked in their ISTS Scholar Portal. 

New Scholars can register here for our first Summer Office Hour, What Your Scholarship Covers and Q&A, on Wednesday, June 10 at 5 pm ET, 2 pm PT, 4 pm CT.

All emails will continue to be posted to our New Scholar Central.

Questions: Chris.Aviles@thedream.us

USCIS Application Fee Loans

Earlier this week, we closed out our DACA Renewal Grants program. However, Scholars and Alumni can utilize our USCIS Application Fee Loan to pay for their DACA and TPS renewals!

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, and more.  

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 Available

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

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  

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 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 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

For Partner College Directory and Staff changes, please submit updates via our One-Off Update Form. 

For all emails sent to Scholars, go here

For Past PC Weeklys, go here

For Calendar of Events, go here