Jeff Bezos, Amazon (AMZN) CEO and his wife, MacKenzie, handed $33 Million to TheDream.US, a scholarship program that helps undocumented immigrant children who were brought to US, and are under the protection from deportation under the DACA program.
Bezos’ donation is so far the largest grant that had been received by the organization. DACA-eligible graduating high school students from all over US will benefit the grant.
Approved students will receive $33,000 each over four years that will help them pay tuition and other school fees. The students will be eligible to choose one from 76 colleges and universities in 15 states of where they will attend. These schools partner with the scholarship fund.
According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bezos wealth amounts $108 billion, making him the richest person in the world. In a statement released on TheDream.US, Bezos shared about his father’s background as a 16 year-old who emigrated to US from Cuba.
“MacKenzie and I are honored to be able to help today’s Dreamers by funding these scholarships,” Bezos said.
Mark Zuckerberg also donated $5 million to TheDream.US in 2015 as a help to fund scholarships.
Bezos’ grant was one, and the most recent moves of the top CEOs of United States to protect Dreamers. Last year, sometime in September, President Trump moved to rescind DACA, which would end in March 5.
Bezos is one of the 100 business leaders who signed a petition letter to congress to pass a legislation that can preserve provisions of the program. Ending DACA will cost valuable employees of businesses, and will certainly hurt the economy, the leaders said.
DACA helps 700,00 15- to 36 year-old individuals get their driver’s license, get into college, and legally secure jobs.
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