DACA is an Obama-era program that shields people brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. Since DACA was introduced in 2012, more than 825,000 young people have been able to work, live, and go to school. Many of these DACA recipients have gone to college and become nurses, teachers, doctors, lawyers, or business owners. DACA is especially important for college students. Undocumented students can go to college, even if they don't have DACA. But it's often more difficult and expensive. DACA makes it easier to go to school and qualify for financial aid to help cover tuition. Some financial aid pools are available only to DACA students, and some schools and states offer DACA students in-state tuition, but not all undocumented students. Because DACA students are able to legally work, they can find jobs to help pay for college and enter the workforce after earning their degree. While the DACA program protects undocumented students brought to the U.S. as children from deportation, it does not offer a pathway to citizenship. The program in its current state also requires recipients to have come to the U.S. before 2007, which means the majority of graduating high school seniors are now too young to qualify.