Nathaniel Puente 
Edinburg- Many students at UTRGV are on DACA and although they take the same tests and attend the same classes, they experience college in a quite a different way.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, is a policy in place to help undocumented students attend college. To qualify for DACA, students must be under the age of 31 as of 2012, have lived in the United States since 2007, came to the United States when they were under 16, and several other strict factors. They also must renew their DACA form every two years.
Lizbeth Lopez, a DACA recipient, told us about the struggle of being a DACA student. “I have to take more classes than the minimum. I also have to work.” Lopez continues “adding school and work makes it more stressful.”
On top of having to pass classes, Lopez has to deal with those who oppose her being here.
“People ask ‘why did these people bring their kids over here?’ but if my parents never did that, I wouldn’t be having the education that I am today.”
To make minority grouped students feel more welcomed, the university implemented the Dream Resource Center. The goal of the center, located on both Edinburg and Brownsville campuses, is to make students feel like they belong.
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