Immigration & Language · Surprise rank #330
Undocumented or Otherwise Ineligible for Federal Aid? The NYS DREAM Act Can Unlock State College Aid
The Senator José Peralta NYS DREAM Act is not one scholarship; it is an eligibility pathway that can open New York State-administered financial aid to qualifying students, including undocumented students.
Who
Students who meet the DREAM Act’s New York education, residency/tuition-status and other eligibility criteria, including many undocumented students and others who cannot use the usual state-residency pathway.
Where: New York State higher education
What to do
Start here: Complete the NYS DREAM Act eligibility application through HESC, then apply separately for the state aid programs for which you qualify.
Eligibility: Eligibility depends on where and when the student attended/graduated high school or earned an equivalency diploma, current college status and the specific state aid program sought.
What you get
After DREAM Act eligibility is approved, a student can apply for eligible New York aid programs such as TAP, Excelsior, Enhanced Tuition Award, STEM awards and other state grants or scholarships.
Benefit: Access to multiple state financial-aid programs; the actual dollars depend on the separate grants or scholarships the student qualifies for.
Possible value: Varies from modest grants to thousands of dollars in annual tuition aid. DREAM Act approval itself does not have a fixed dollar value.
Good to know
Important: DREAM Act approval is a gateway, not an automatic award. Each grant or scholarship has its own income, enrollment, deadline, academic and sometimes service requirements.
Availability: 2026–27 applications are open.
Why people miss it: Students often assume lack of federal-aid eligibility means New York aid is also unavailable.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026