The Trump administration banned undocumented college students Tuesday from receiving emergency assistance amid the coronavirus pandemic even though Congress did not exclude the group in a relief bill.
Credit: Mandel Ngan/Getty
The $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed by Congress last month included $6 billion for colleges to help students deal with expenses after campuses around the country shut down. But the Department of Education, led by Secretary Betsy DeVos, issued new guidance this week that limits the aid to only citizens and certain legal permanent residents.
The policy says that students must have filed or be eligible for a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. However, undocumented students are barred from receiving most types of federal aid.
The guidance will prevent undocumented students, including hundreds of thousands of students protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program from receiving the aid, according to Politico. The National Education Association said the move exhibited an “astounding” level of “cruelty.”
“These are students who need food & housing,” former Obama aide Kyle Lierman tweeted, calling the decision “horrible.”
A spokeswoman for DeVos insisted […]
