What the DACA decision means for college students in Colorado

http://kdvr.com/2017/09/05/what-does-the-daca-decision-mean-for-college-students-in-colorado

DENVER — Certain groups are angry and upset about the White House’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Without a solution from Congress, it will affect families, professionals and students in six months.

“It saddens me mostly, it really saddens me,” DACA recipient Mateo Lazano said.

Mateo Lazano is a DACA recipient and college student at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“I’m paying for school right out of my pocket,” Lazano said.

Lazano works so he can afford school, and if DACA is done, his job is over.

While the government’s decision doesn’t take away his ability to go to college, one professor says it might as well.

“Life just incredibly harder,” said Carlos Hipolito-Delgado, an associate professor at CU Denver. “You cannot receive federal financial aid, you cannot receive state based financial aid. It has now made life harder to secure employment, that would help cover the rest.”

What DACA won’t touch is Colorado’s asset program. This allows students such as Lozano to pay in-state tuition.

“All I want to do with that degree is just put it right back into my community right back into the economy,” Lozano said.

At the end of the day, Lozano’s biggest fear has nothing to do with college, especially after what happened to his brother.

“He was deported in front of his kids, in front of his wife,” Lozano said. “I think that would be my biggest nightmare for that to happen to me.”