University of Texas eliminates scholarship, program for undocumented students following state's DEI ban

The Texas State Capitol is surrounded by buildings and the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 9, 2021.

Officials at the University of Texas at Austin eliminated a scholarship for undocumented students, citing the state’s DEI ban and a federal immigration law, according to an internal communication.

The scholarship – which ranged from $500 to $1,000 and was awarded annually – was part of the Monarch Program, an initiative designed to support undocumented students. The program as whole was also eliminated as of Jan. 1, as first reported by the student’s newspaper The Daily Texan.

“When I learned that they were taking away one of the very few scholarships for undocumented students, I was furious,” said Lupe, an undocumented junior at UT who asked to be identified only by her middle name because of her immigration status. “It makes a difference. You’re taking a very powerful tool away from us and it’s cruel.”

University officials noted that the scholarship potentially violates Texas’ new ban on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in state universities and colleges, according to internal messages obtained by The Dallas Morning News. One message also references the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, or IIRIRA.

UT officials did not respond to an immediate request for comment. UT System officials declined a request for comment, referring questions to the Austin school.

A new Texas law, signed by Gov. Greg Abbot in May, requires the elimination of DEI offices and any programming based on race, color, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation.

Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who authored the DEI ban legislation, could not be reached for comment. He did not mention immigration status specifically in the bill, and programming for undocumented students wasn’t discussed during legislative debates.

Multiple undocumented students who were part of Monarch told The News that they want to know why the university eliminated the program citing the DEI ban. They said they were told throughout the fall semester that the program would be “safe” because it’s not based on race or gender.

The Monarch Program was created in 2016 by a graduate student but became institutionalized when the university hired an employee to coordinate the program in 2021. The initiative offered support systems for undocumented students and educational programming for the broader UT community.

For example, students could access resource lists with scholarship, internship and housing opportunities that don’t exclude those who are undocumented. UT staff could attend Monarch workshops on how to best support these students.

Tiffany Lewis, UT’s associate vice president of the division of campus and community engagement, wrote in an email to students sharing the news that “the Monarch program has been discontinued and all activities must cease.”

Lewis wrote that the elimination of the program is due to the DEI ban. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The News.

“I recognize the value and importance of the program, not just as an educational initiative but as a space that fostered understanding, empathy, and inclusivity,” Lewis wrote. “Your dedication, passion, and involvement in the program have always been sources of inspiration and pride.”

Under the federal law referenced in the internal communication with students, “an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible (…) for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit.”

However, similar scholarships for undocumented students exist in colleges and universities across the country, including at public universities in border states such as Arizona and California.

The elimination of the program and scholarship came just weeks after Texas’ lawmakers approved new immigration proposals aimed at giving state and local law enforcement the ability to arrest people they believe to have entered the state illegally – which many advocates worry could complicate college access for such students.

Advocates have said they worry cutting support programs for undocumented students could lead to fewer of them staying in school and turning to industries that hire undocumented people to work in underpaid, unsafe conditions.

Lupe said she wouldn’t be a student at UT without the support of scholarships that don’t exclude undocumented students.

Most scholarships require citizenship, a social security number or DACA status, she said, which most undocumented students who’re college-aged don’t have anymore since that program was challenged by the Trump administration.

“We were blindsided by the university,” Lupe said. “It’s unjust and unfair to take that away from a student.”

_______

©2024 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.