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Statement from Chancellor William H. McRaven on DACA

As the date to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program approaches, I want to reiterate my support for the program. I, along with UT institution presidents, strongly believe in the benefits of DACA and encourage Congress to act quickly to continue the program. We also encourage DACA students to immediately take full advantage of the recent federal court decision to renew their status as the litigation proceeds through the federal judiciary.

Whatever the outcome of the litigation or the decision by the Congress, the UT System will always follow state and federal law and encourages our students to do the same.

We do not discuss the immigration status of our students nor do UT institutions track DACA status, because there is no educational purpose for identifying these students. In fact, the law allows and requires us to protect students’ private information, including immigration status.

For more than 15 years, Texas students who are not permanent residents but graduated from a Texas high school and meet other criteria have been eligible to pay in-state tuition rates, and we continue to support this benefit. About 3,500 students at UT System institutions accepted the offer in Fall 2016. Although the students who accepted in-state tuition are typically considered “undocumented,” we are not able to directly link those students to DACA status, because different criteria apply.

For more about my thoughts on DACA and its benefit to our state and our nation, please see the statement I issued in September 2017 when the Administration first announced its decision about DACA.

About The University of Texas System
Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking basic, applied and clinical research, and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. With 14 institutions and a projected enrollment of more than 234,000 students, the UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates approximately two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public institutions in Texas. The UT System’s operating budget for FY 2018 is $18.3 billion, funded in part by $3.6 billion in sponsored programs from federal, state, local and private sources. With more than 20,000 faculty – including Nobel laureates and members of the National Academies – and nearly 80,000 health care professionals, researchers, student advisors and support staff, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

News Contact Information

Karen Adler: kadler@utsystem.edu • 512-499-4360 (direct) • 210-912-8055 (cell)
Melanie Thompson: mthompson@utsystem.edu • 512-499-4487 (direct) • 832-724-1024 (cell)