TheDream.US

About TheDream.US

TheDream.US operates as the largest college access and career success program for undocumented immigrant youth in the United States. The organization was founded in 2014 by a bipartisan group: Donald E. Graham, then-CEO of Graham Holdings Company; Carlos Gutierrez, a former U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President George W. Bush; and Henry R. Muñoz III, a Democratic activist and philanthropist. The founders were motivated by the predicament of "DREAMers"—immigrants who came to the U.S. as children but are ineligible for federal financial aid, loans, or work-study programs for college, effectively barring many from higher education.

The organization's operational model is structured as a nonprofit scholarship fund, fiscally sponsored by the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Its primary function is to provide financial aid to highly motivated, low-income immigrant students, often referred to as serving as the "Pell Grant" for DREAMers. Funding is sourced from a diverse base of individuals, corporations, and major foundations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and philanthropists like Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott. The current President and CEO is Gaby Pacheco, a nationally recognized immigrant rights leader who was previously a DREAMer herself and was instrumental in the advocacy that led to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

TheDream.US offers two primary scholarship products. The National Scholarship provides up to $33,000 for a bachelor's degree for students in states where they can receive in-state tuition, partnering with nearly 80 colleges and universities. The Opportunity Scholarship is for students in "locked-out" states that do not offer in-state tuition; it provides up to $80,000 for tuition, fees, housing, and meals, allowing them to relocate to an out-of-state partner college. Beyond financial aid, the model includes a robust support system, with each partner college having a dedicated Scholar Advisor to guide students. The program has supported over 11,000 students, with more than 4,000 having graduated and entered high-demand fields like healthcare, education, and business.