How a College Preparation Program Helped Create College Dreams for Latino High School DREAMers

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: The Policies of DREAMing: Opportunities and Challenges for Undocumented Youth

Abstract

The debate that surrounds undocumented students’ access to higher education has been a highly politicized issue in the past decade. The goal of this research was to take the politics out of the equation and highlight the human experience of the youth that are affected by restrictive policies that limit their access to higher education. This study used qualitative methodology in the form of semi-structured interviews to examine the role that a pre-college support program, GEAR UP, played in helping undocumented Latino high school students create and pursue their college dreams. Results of the study suggest that programs like GEAR UP are instrumental in supporting undocumented high school students’ educational journey and preparation for college.

Authors

• Dolores DeHaro Mena, San José State University

• Lorri Midori Capizzi, San Jose State University