Published June 10, 2019.

DACA has been key in convincing undocumented young people that pursuing education is worth the investment, and there’s a concern that both high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates among undocumented youth could plummet without it.

“[DACA] helped to clarify that end game for people and make it very seeable, knowable and achievable,” says Katharine Gin, co-founder and executive director of Immigrants Rising, a group providing resources to undocumented youth.

Even without DACA, undocumented youth should continue to pursue their education.

“Education is not to prepare you for a current opportunity but it’s to prepare you for an opportunity when it opens up for you,” Gin says. “It’s not reactive to what’s happening. It’s proactive — preparation and training is proactive.”

Read the full story: A new generation of ‘un-DACAmented’ high school graduates fights hurdles to higher ed (Public Radio International)