Under the California Dream Act, low-income undocumented students can receive aid to help pay for their college education. Fears about possible deportation and confusion over DACA may be causing some not to apply. Officials urge students to file by the March 2 deadline.
About 56 percent of California high school seniors applied for federal or state financial aid for college. The new dashboard aims to increase that number and allow schools to compare their statistics to other schools around California.
The final application numbers top last year's by 5 percent after much publicity and pledges that personal data will not be shared with federal authorities.
With only a week before the application deadline, the number of California Dream Act applications remains well behind last year's. The Trump administration's plans to deport undocumented people is heightening fears of Dreamer students, despite state pledges to protect their identities.
Students worry that Trump will revoke protections many have against deportation, but also say they appreciate the financial aid California provides to Dreamers.
