CAL MATTERS -- Jairo Barba, 25, is another young immigrant who has been in the DACA program since 2012. Earlier this year, Barba managed to send in his DACA renewal and like Salinas, he was able to obtain help from his university paying the fee. His DACA expires in October.
But he is struggling financially. He is seeking his master’s degree in Spanish at San Francisco State University and although he’s expected to graduate in the spring, his last semester is in jeopardy. Tuition costs $4,370 and he has no job and did not qualify for financial aid.
“If I don’t pay my tuition fees before February 14, I will not be able to attend school and I will lose this semester,” said Barba, who was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and arrived in the U.S. at the age of 12.