Grant Pays DACA Renewal Costs For Community College Students, Though Many Don't Know

Thanks to a grant from the state’s department of social services, California community college students can renew their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) permits for free. The Higher Education Immigration Legal Services Project also provides free legal counsel.

DACA shields students from deportation and enables them to get a work permit. However, students must renew their DACA permits every two years, and doing so can be costly.

Currently, it costs $555 to renew the permit online and $605 to renew it by mail.

A lot of students aren’t aware of the option, said Brian Guzmán, an attorney who heads the student legal services department at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, one of the nonprofits that’s part of the project.

The grant for this initiative is set to expire in October 2024, although Guzmán warned that the funds could run out earlier. “The sooner [students reach out to us,] the better,” he said.

How it works

Students make a free appointment and get matched to a legal services provider. Here’s the website and here’s how to prepare for the appointment.

Other benefits

The project can also cover community college students’ naturalization or advance parole costs. Advance parole enables students with DACA or TPS to travel outside of the U.S., including for study abroad programs.

“These are [students who] haven’t been outside of the country, haven’t been able to connect with their roots, and it's a sometimes once-in-a- lifetime opportunity for them,” Guzmán said.

For high school students

These services are also available to high school students who are taking college courses through dual enrollment programs, as well as students who are enrolled in noncredit courses.