Brown promises ‘tuition-free’ Master's for DACA students
Brown University officials have announced plans to offer illegal immigrant students a “tuition-free” Master’s Degree should the federal government decide to repeal DACA.
The new program would be available for any 2018 graduate as a one-year extension to their time at Brown, and would come with university-subsidized health insurance and a stipend, according to a statement by Provost Richard Locke.
[RELATED: New scholarship to hand out $20 million to DACA students]
In the event that DACA is repealed, the university has also vowed to offer “in-school and post-graduate opportunities for students unable to work legally to engage in stipend-supported research and education that is not citizenship-dependent.”
While the program remains in limbo, the elite school says it will continue to support DACA students through its existing initiatives, such as covering the cost of DACA renewal application fees, providing grant money to pay for legal representation, and creating extra institutional scholarships for students whose work authorization expires.
“It is our hope that through these efforts, the university will continue to support academic development and achievement while Congress works to address essential immigration reform,” Locke concludes.
[RELATED: University launches ‘dream fund’ to help DACA students]
In September 2017, university officials issued a press release condemning efforts to repeal DACA and affirming their support for undocumented students.
“Ending the protections DACA has granted to so many high-achieving and promising individuals is wrong. It is shortsighted and in direct and flagrant conflict with this nation’s commitment to education,” the statement argued, vowing not to cooperate with law enforcement officials unless they have a subpoena.
“Brown will do everything legally possible to protect our students, faculty, and staff, and to ensure that all members of our community know they are highly valued for the richness they contribute to Brown,” it concluded.
Campus Reform reached out to university for information on how the new program will be funded, but Media Officer Brian Clark declined to comment.
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