CSUSM, MiraCosta College get grant funds to support undocumented students

SAN DIEGO - Cal State San Marcos and MiraCosta College announced the schools received a shared state grant to support undocumented students.

CSUSM and MiraCosta are among 32 schools receiving portions of the UPRISE grant, which stands for Undocumented People Rise In Solidarity and Empowerment. The grant is an offshoot of the California Campus Catalyst Fund, a three-year initiative to disperse nearly $10 million to the state's three post-secondary systems -- California Community Colleges, the California State University and the University of California -- to support students lacking legal documentation and their families.

The UPRISE grant will fund services including legal assistance, mental healthcare access, entrepreneurship workshops, family cultural nights and regular panels.

"As educators, we are not satisfied with only some people doing well,'' said Geoffrey Gilmore, assistant vice president of student affairs at CSUSM. "Everyone should have the support, resources and environment they need to realize their full potential.''

The grant announcement comes during Undocumented Students Week of Action, a campaign to forge a pathway to citizenship for residents of the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The week-long campaign is being recognized by colleges and universities throughout California.

Organizations that have donated to the Campus Catalyst Fund include the Cesar Chavez Family Foundation, the College Futures Foundation and NextGen America.

"Undocumented young people and their families are integral to the social, economic and cultural fabric of California, and as such, support for them needs to be woven into our state's higher education system,'' said Victor Garcia of Immigrants Rising, the San Francisco nonprofit overseeing the application and selection process for the fund.