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- Dr. Daisy Gonzales<\/b>, Executive Director, California Student Aid Commission (CSAC)<\/li>\n
- Christopher Gonzales<\/b>, Chief Strategy Officer, 10,000 Degrees<\/li>\n
- Celeste Mar<\/b>, Student, CSU Long Beach<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nLast spring, CSAC \u2014 the state agency responsible for distributing over $3 billion in financial aid \u2014 reported a 38% drop in CADAA applications and a 14% drop in Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications statewide.<\/p>\n
While drops in aid applications aren\u2019t new \u2014 the troubled FAFSA rollout last year led to a 9% national decline by August 2024 \u2014 recent declines have been attributed to fear. Many immigrant students worry their information could be shared with federal agencies and used to target them or their families for deportation.<\/p>\n
Although there\u2019s currently no known data-sharing agreement between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Education, which oversees FAFSA, DHS does share data with other federal agencies including the IRS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and HUD.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of the Californians that we are neighbors with \u2014 our families, teachers, coworkers \u2014 are living in unprecedented times where their data is being shared between federal agencies to attack them and target them in the name of federal immigration enforcement,\u201d said Dr. Daisy Gonzales.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur students are in survival mode,\u201d she continued. \u201cMany of them are thinking about not pursuing their higher education as the future seems very unlikely, and in particular a future in this country. Choosing to pursue your dreams, choosing to apply for financial aid, is an act of resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roughly 55% of California students receive federal grants, close to the national average. But among aid applicants with at least one undocumented parent, numbers dropped 44% in February 2025 compared to the year prior \u2014 from 30,000 to just 17,000.<\/p>\n
While overall student aid applications are now on the rise again in California, CSAC continues to see lagging numbers among undocumented, mixed-status, and refugee families.<\/p>\n
Gonzales urged these students to apply for CADAA, especially those ineligible for FAFSA. \u201cThe data that students complete will only be used to determine state and institutional aid eligibility, and it is not shared with the federal government,\u201d she emphasized.<\/p>\n
Students with legal documentation can fill out both FAFSA and CADAA. \u201cThe student applies, they tell us where they intend to go, where they got accepted, and then we match their aid to their institution,\u201d said Gonzales.<\/p>\n
While aid deadlines vary across schools, the final deadline for California community college applicants this fall is September 2. Multilingual help for FAFSA and CADAA is available through CSAC.<\/p>\n
Even as California faces a $12 billion budget deficit, state leaders are expected to finalize a $321.1 billion annual budget this week. Gonzales affirmed that higher education remains a priority: \u201cWhat I have seen in the budget so far confirms that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since its creation in 2011, CADAA has opened doors for thousands of students. Christopher Gonzales shared how former students are now working as mentors. \u201cIt\u2019s a cyclical change that\u2019s extra impactful,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re lifting your family out of generational poverty.\u201d<\/p>\n
He recalled a student from a mixed-status family in Sonoma County. \u201cThey had a lot of instability and were hesitating because of the misinformation out there,\u201d he said. \u201cWith CSAC, we did fact-checking, met with the family, and assured them it\u2019s safe to apply through CADAA. They did \u2014 and we\u2019re now helping with their aid package.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a first-generation student. I remember filling out FAFSA in high school, and even then, I was scared. What would happen to my parents\u2019 information?\u201d said Celeste Mar, a aspiring school counselor.<\/p>\n
Mar sees that same fear: \u201cOur students are still hesitant. They believe that by not filling out these applications, they get to protect their families,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mar described immigrant students acting as front-line support for their families \u2014 even just running errands can be risky. \u201cEspecially in L.A., with ICE raids happening,\u201d she added. \u201cAlthough CADAA is reliable, that fear will remain until you help families make informed decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up in a low-income immigrant neighborhood,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to be that support for students \u2014 to help them realize that higher education is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
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All images provided by ACoM.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With federal protections for immigrant students under threat, California\u2019s California Dream Act Application (CADAA) remains a crucial support system. In a media briefing on June 24, hosted by American Community Media, a panel of experts discussed California\u2019s relentless commitment to stand as a support beam for immigrant students.\u00a0 Speakers Dr. Daisy Gonzales, Executive Director, California…<\/p>\n
- Christopher Gonzales<\/b>, Chief Strategy Officer, 10,000 Degrees<\/li>\n