The issue, she said, is need:

“This is the group of people growing in our community. We would have people who wouldn’t be using their potential.”

At College of St. Mary, 27 women are now enrolled in the program, called Misericordia — Latin for mercy.

They are eligible with or without DACA status. The students must get involved on campus, join at least one club and maintain a 2.0 GPA. They must purchase their own books and must contribute up to $2,000 each year toward their education.

Two graduates of the program now work at the college, after having become permanent residents, including Daniela Rojas, who graduated last year. She said most of her high school friends who were undocumented like her went to community college — or skipped college for work in factories or day labor.

If she hadn’t received the scholarship at St. Mary, she said, she was considering returning to her home country, Colombia.

“There are so many people who are discouraged because they don’t have a paper that says, ‘Go ahead and do it,’ ” Rojas said.

Support is strong among a growing cadre of donors to the program, including Deb Macdonald of Omaha, who is retired from the energy industry.