By: Mai Diaz & Bella Bercan
As of July 24th, 2026, a federal district court ruled that undocumented students will be ineligible to receive state financial assistance from the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP). With this change, undocumented students cannot receive the financial aid they were promised for the 2026-2027 school year.
Dominican University is working to help undocumented students receive financial aid for this school year through alternative resources. For the following school years, the only way undocumented students will get money from MAP Grant or from Alternative Application is if they become documented.
DU students shared their thoughts about the MAP Grants new eligibility; they brought up how unrealistic it is to expect students to become documented before the next school year just to receive the money they were awarded in the past.
“It shouldn’t be a privilege or anything…it’s really inhumane,” first-year Ailene Hernandez said.
One Dominican student who is being directly affected by these changes said.
“…a friend who works in government gave me a heads up, we both hoped it would never pass, however when I saw that it had, I was extremely surprised and scared about my future…I was quite scared as I did not want that to be my reality. I even had to reach out to family and friends in hopes of coming up with the plan on how to continue my education as I get closer to graduation…I’m lucky to attend a university that cares for their undocumented student population.”
The MAP Grant was a major source of financial aid for undocumented students. Students have brought up how unfair it is for a federal district court ruling to deem giving MAP grant funds to undocumented students as unconstitutional.
“For the most part, that is the most financial aid you can get..cut to the MAP Grant, it’s just influencing undocumented students to not continue a higher education.” – Alexandra Castaneda, first year.
Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration Mark Titzer when asked about how Dominican would be helping undocumented students with financial aid stated.
“The financial aid office will work with individual students who might be impacted by this…to make coming to school here affordable.”
Titzer explained that the recent ruling was “mostly focused on in-state tuition to public universities, but they tacked onto the states that have scholarship support.” Due to this and the cooperation of funders such as Dream US the burden on these students will be lessened with their help.
Dr. Jacqueline Neri Arias, Dominican University Assistant Vice President, Hispanic-Serving and Culturally Sustaining Initiatives, she discussed all the fundraising efforts and partnerships Dominican has been a part of since the MAP Grant change.
She highlighted the Resurrection Project in Pilsen, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugees (ICER), and the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.
“Those organizations come to campus, and they do free legal screenings for our students.” Dr. Neri Arias shared. “The entire goal of advancement offices is to fundraise money for the university… raising money for different marginalized identities…that includes undocumented students.”
While undocumented students can no longer receive federal financial aid, they can still receive private donor money. Dr. Neri Arias explained how the advancement office contacts students who require financial support and invites them to meetings and dinners with donors. These events allow donors to contribute funds to the undocumented students’ education at Dominican.
It’s not only organizations helping undocumented students at Dominican; it is also other students reaching out to Dr. Neri Arias to help their fellow classmates facing financial aid loss. Dr. Neri Arias said some students have offered to help with the fundraising efforts.
“…students who offered out of their own volition…to support the university in fundraising efforts.”
Dr. Neri Arias stated that she wants DU students to be informed with everything going on, DU students always have the CCL to lean on for support, as well as her, if anyone wants more information about this current situation.
Mark Titzer also encourages students to “reach out to the financial aid office” While Dr. Neri Arias said she also encouraged students to go to the CCL as they are “helpful to kind or help students and families understand.”
There’s a simple solution if you don’t like that the government isn’t giving you free money anymore: leave.