Winthrop University president Dan Mahony addressed Thursday the end of a federal program that could impact students.
Winthrop University president Dan Mahony addressed Thursday the end of a federal program that could impact students.
The end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, could mean 7,000 South Carolina residents may face deportation.
Earlier this week, the Trump Administration announced it would rescind the executive order in six months.
“This action creates great uncertainty for undocumented students across the United States who already face obstacles to receiving a college education, ” Mahony said. “During the last couple of days, we have been assessing the impact on our Winthrop students.”
Under S. C. state law, DACA students are classified as non-residents and cannot receive state aid, Mahony’s statement says. Those students also cannot receive aid from Pell grants, federally subsidized loans or work-study jobs.
Winthrop said it has two DACA students enrolled at the university.
“We have reached out to them to make sure they receive all the support we can offer, ” Mahony wrote.
“We encourage Congress to enshrine in law a permanent solution for these young people, one that will permit them to continue living, working—and learning—in the country they have called home for most of their lives. We applaud Senators Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin for urging their colleagues to pass the DREAM Act, which would offer legal status to undocumented children who received protections under DACA.”
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