Hello, my name is Dafne Diaz, and I am honored to serve as the President of the Phi Beta Chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc. at the University of Central Oklahoma this year. Today, I want to bring to light an urgent issue impacting some of our sisters and fellow students.

Due to a recent change in Oklahoma Statute Title 70 § 3242, several of our siblings in the Phi Beta Chapter are now facing devastating barriers to continuing their education. This policy change abruptly removes undocumented students’ access to nonresident tuition waivers, making higher education financially out of reach for them. These sisters, who were brought to the U.S. as children and have grown up here, are now confronted with the harsh reality of either paying out-of-state tuition fees or being forced to withdraw from their studies with very little notice or support.

These remarkable girls have been invaluable to our chapter, campus, and the wider community. They have demonstrated exceptional resilience, academic excellence earning spots on multiple honor rolls and leadership both on and off campus. Among them is a senior who has advocated for her community and is only months away from graduating this coming May. Unfortunately, she now faces the possibility of postponing her long-awaited college degree until she can secure enough funds to cover her tuition.

our core principles include academics, morals, and ethics. We firmly believe that financial barriers and legal status should never prevent a student from pursuing higher education. That is why we are calling on our community for support whether through donations or by simply sharing this message. Every bit of help matters and will empower our sisters to continue their education and fulfill the dreams and goals they have worked so hard to achieve.