Thread: Helping the undocumented afford college

Why is it groups like this that support people illegally here are allowed to operate in this country???

Helping the undocumented afford college
A campus organization raises and distributes funds for students who don't qualify for financial aid available to legal residents.
By Tami Abdollah, Times Staff Writer
April 17, 2007

For Francisco Alvarado, a 22-year-old undocumented immigrant enrolled at Cal State Dominguez Hills, a college education would be impossible without some financial assistance.

In his two years at the school, Alvarado has received about $4,000 from the student organization Espiritu de Nuestro Futuro, which raises scholarship money for undocumented students. "That's why I came to the United States, with the purpose to go to college, to receive higher education, to make my dreams come true," said Alvarado, vice president of Espiritu. "I came for the opportunities."

Previously, Espiritu raised money through bake sales and other small fundraising efforts. Since it formed five years ago the group has raised and distributed at least $30,000 to about a dozen students, members said.

But on Friday it will sponsor its most ambitious fundraiser: a banquet dinner hosted by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate), with the hopes of raising at least $10,000.

"We have a principle in the United States that the sins of the father should not be visited on the child," De La Torre said of the campaign. "And these young people didn't do anything. They did not choose, when they were in kindergarten, fifth or ninth grade, to come to the United States. Somebody, an adult, brought them here."

Although Alvarado said his parents did not bring him to the U.S., they told him at age 15 that he had to come here to join his brother, giving him little choice in the matter.

Others said they came here with their parents.

Espiritu is one of several groups that have formed in recent years to provide financial assistance to undocumented students and others who qualify for admission to California's public university and college system. At Cal State L.A., the Erika J. Glazer Family Scholarship Fund, financed with a $1-million endowment, was specifically established in 2005 to assist these types of students.

In 2001, the state Legislature passed AB 540, which granted undocumented students and California natives who live elsewhere the right to pay in-state tuition fees if they met certain requirements. These included attending three years of high school in California, graduating from a California school and, in the case of the undocumented student, filing an affidavit with the university promising to promptly apply for residency.

"The problem is they can get in, but they don't have financial aid, and we know that fees in the Cal State system have almost doubled over the last five years," Steve Teixeira, director of the student support program at Cal State L.A., said of undocumented students.

But anti-illegal immigration groups said the law is unfair to others, especially those students here legally who must pay higher out-of-state tuition fees, which can run as much as $900 more per class in the Cal State system.

"Nobody wants to hurt the kids, but when you come down to it … there are only a finite number of seats available," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which seeks tighter border controls. "When you start admitting illegal immigrants, you are essentially denying somebody else's child the opportunity to attend the school."

In December 2005, a group of out-of-state students and parents filed a class-action lawsuit against California's public university and community college systems, alleging they were illegally charged higher fees than undocumented immigrants.

In October, a Yolo County Superior Court judge ruled that AB 540 did not violate federal law because it was based on high school attendance, not on residence. The ruling has been appealed.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) introduced the California Dream Act, or SB 160, last year that would allow AB 540 students to apply and compete for financial aid at state public colleges and universities.

The bill passed both houses but was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "While I do not believe that undocumented children should be penalized for the acts of their parents," Schwarzenegger wrote in a note to the state Senate, "this bill would penalize students here legally by reducing the financial aid they rely on to allow them to go to college and pursue their dreams."

Cedillo reintroduced his bill this year.

Alvarado, who came to the U.S. from Mexico City at 15, lives in South-Central Los Angeles with his brother. As a senior in high school, he heard a presentation from a member of Espiritu on AB 540 students. When he got into Dominguez Hills, he joined the club.

Carolina Couto, 24, said she came from Mexico City more than a decade ago to join her mother, who was living in Los Angeles. Couto said her parents were divorced and that her father thought her move was best for the family. "Everything got arranged by my mom," she said. "I don't know many of the other details because I was 10 or 11, I just know I got here."

Now a senior at Dominguez Hills, Couto is majoring in psychology with a minor in philosophy. She is also one of Espiritu's founding members who helped start the fundraising efforts.

"One of our members was about to drop out of school because she didn't have any money, and so it was like, 'What can we do?' " Couto said. "So we started raising money."

The exact number of AB 540 students in California schools is unknown because of confidentiality rules. The Cal State system keeps no records but once attempted to count students through anecdotal means and "realized that it was in the hundreds for the whole CSU system," which has about 417,000 students, said Clara Potes-Fellow, a university spokeswoman. It's unclear how many of these are undocumented, she said.

The UC system estimates that AB 540 students made up roughly 1,400 of its more than 209,000 students last year. Of those, 390 are potentially undocumented.

In the California Community Colleges system, they account for about 15,000 to 20,000 of the 2.5 million students. "Up to 90% may be undocumented," said Linda Michalowski, vice chancellor of student services.

Mehlman contends that the undocumented students should return to their home countries, apply to return as foreign students and pay out-of-state tuition. "Somebody who's played by the rules, applied and gotten a visa, that person pays full freight," he said. "It is unfortunate if the children end up in this difficult situation, but it's the parents who put them there."

Meanwhile, Alvarado said he is planning to go forward with his plans to apply to law school.

"It doesn't matter if I'm not going to be able to practice, I'm still going to go," he said. "That's my dream — that's something that I really want to make a reality — and that's my family's dream."

tami.abdollah@latimes.com
http://link.toolbot.com/latimes.com/74952

But Bush says that these people will only do jobs that Americans refuse to do, right? So I guess this means these people will end up being college educated tomato pickers and toilet scrubbers. This must be the case, because no one with a college degree would ever compete with U.S. citizens for good paying jobs, would they El Presidente Bush?

"That's why I came to the United States, with the purpose to go to college, to receive higher education, to make my dreams come true," said Alvarado, vice president of Espiritu. "I came for the opportunities."

What's one more sucking on the American tit, right Alvarado?

Couto said her parents were divorced and that her father thought her move was best for the family. "Everything got arranged by my mom," she said. "I don't know many of the other details because I was 10 or 11, I just know I got here."

In other words, you don't know the name of the coyote who snuck you into the US or how much your mother paid.

"It doesn't matter if I'm not going to be able to practice, I'm still going to go," he said.

You won't displace but one American student, right Alvarado? You'll keep sucking, sucking, sucking.

"That's my dream — that's something that I really want to make a reality — and that's my family's dream."

Why not make your family's dream a reality in your home country wherever it may be?

No state should be allowed to give in-state tuition to illegal aliens. When will this lawsuit ever work its way through court?

When you start admitting illegal immigrants, you are essentially denying somebody else's child the opportunity to attend the school."

Exactly! More insanity from the Twilight Zone!

But on Friday it will sponsor its most ambitious fundraiser: a banquet dinner hosted by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate), with the hopes of raising at least $10,000.

THIS is what happens when non citizens are allowed to VOTE!
{I give you "motor voter & unfettered ID fraud!!"}

They put these anti-Americans into political power.

Politicos who have turned this into a blatant RACIAL issue.

Politicos who have NO problem getting into the public eye ADVOCATING BREAKING AMERICAN LAW.

Heck, how about helping 'the documented' or even citizens afford college?

Originally Posted by PhredE

Heck, how about helping 'the documented' or even citizens afford college?

ditto Phred. What about Americans who can't afford college? I just finished paying off my student loans (I won't say how old I am, but let's just say I am middle-aged).

"It doesn't matter if I'm not going to be able to practice, I'm still going to go,"

Here's that attitude again, they must teach it to them when they are babies, The Hurray for me and____you!!!

I must say though that I am surprised with Arnold S., vetoing that bill and am proud of him for, which is usually not something I can say about him

Plain and simply put illegals have no right to taxpayer money or any advantage over a citizen from any state to attend college, OUR CHILDREN COME FIRST AND FOREMOST.

Go home Alvarado and talk to your own Presidente, see if he gives a rats you know what!! because we don't!