Financial Aid and Tuition

Your scholarship covers all your tuition and basic student fees for four years if you are a first-time college student or two years if you are a community college graduate. You will also receive a $1,500 annual stipend ($750 per semester) from TheDream.US for housing, books, and other costs.

Provided you follow the steps below, you can take a break in enrollment while keeping your scholarship.

According to the National Scholarship Program Guide, if exceptional circumstances require you to take a term off or to drop all your classes mid-term, you should:

• • Complete The Dream.US Request Form in your ISTS Scholar Portal to take a break in enrollment. Requests will be reviewed and approved or denied within two–three weeks.
  • Notify your scholar advisor and explain the reason for your break in enrollment and the date you will return.
  • Upon your return, meet with your scholar advisor to develop a plan for completing your degree on time (three years if an associate degree; six years if a bachelor’s degree).

*You cannot take off more than two semesters. Your time off will be included in the maximum time you have to use your award.

• According to the National Scholarship Program Guide, if you fail or drop a course and need to retake it, you will not lose your scholarship or have to reimburse TheDream.US for the costs of the classes. TheDream.US will deduct the amount it paid for that class—which generally depends on the length you were in the course before withdrawing—from your maximum award amount, which means you will have fewer funds available to complete your degree.
• If your GPA drops below 2.5, you must work with your scholar advisor to develop a plan to improve your GPA. You will lose your scholarship if your cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 for more than one academic year.

• Many factors affect which opportunities different students can pursue, so make an appointment with your scholar advisor or the Career Development Office to discuss specifics.
• For students with work authorization through DACA or TPS, there are various on- and off-campus work opportunities, including positions on Handshake but excluding Federal Work Study. Create an account on Handshake and make an appointment with career development to discuss jobs and internships.
• Students need authorization to work on or off campus; however, there are opportunities for unpaid experiences funded with scholarships and independent contracting opportunities. If you are interested in pursuing this option, make an appointment with career development and your scholar advisor to discuss details.
• US scholarship recipients can access the Internship Funding Program. This program is unavailable to F-1 visa holders, who can only work as independent contractors if granted a work permit (OPT or SEH).

You will initially have to go through the application process and receive admittance before being able to request a funds transfer. Once you have received admittance, contact your TheDream.US advisor and the partner college advisor to let them know you will request a funds transfer.

We have our Lighthouse Scholarship specifically for first-generation first-year students. Please view the link for further eligibility and inform your admission counselor if you are first-generation.