Thread: CA-Freshman program targets immigrant families

Freshman program targets immigrant families
By Sherry Saavedra
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

July 15, 2008

SAN MARCOS – Ana Lopez has long dreamed of carving out a better life for herself and easing her father's load.
Her dad works at a nursery and is the sole provider for a wife at home with arthritis and six children. The family lives in a two-bedroom Fallbrook apartment.



JOHN GASTALDO / Union-Tribune
Marcos worked on a team project with Elaine Navarro (center) of Ladera Ranch and Miriam Viduarri. They are part of CAMP, which helps children from immigrant families get into Cal State San Marcos.


JOHN GASTALDO / Union-Tribune
Alejandro Cruz (right), Adam Aguilar and Lilian Serrano walked to class one morning during the six-week summer program they're attending to help them get into Cal State San Marcos.
“Some of us sleep in the living room,â€

What they fail to mention is that ALL their expenses are paid for by US taxpayers. The same taxpayers who struggle to pay for our OWN kids college educations!!!

This program is NOT offered to US citizens. I don't believe it's even offered to LEGAL immigrants. It's just GIVEN to children of migrant workers who have work visas!

All commendable, but I believe we should be taking care of OUR people first and OUR people means United States CITIZENS of all races, genders and colors!

Originally Posted by miguelina

What they fail to mention is that ALL their expenses are paid for by US taxpayers. The same taxpayers who struggle to pay for our OWN kids college educations!!!

This program is NOT offered to US citizens. I don't believe it's even offered to LEGAL immigrants. It's just GIVEN to children of migrant workers who have work visas!

All commendable, but I believe we should be taking care of OUR people first and OUR people means United States CITIZENS of all races, genders and colors!

You got that right!

Her goal? A degree from Cal State San Marcos. To aid her dream, Lopez is among 41 incoming freshmen from immigrant families participating in the six-week summer College Assistance Migrant Program, which includes instruction in math, writing, computers and study skills.

The Cal State San Marcos program culminates more than a year's worth of efforts to get these students into college. It is funded through a five-year, $2.2 million U.S. Department of Education grant that also pays for other services ranging from high school outreach to counseling of freshmen.

So I figured it out and that equals $14,273,170 we spent on 266 illegals? And we wonder why this country is sinking? How many of our poor hungry American kids would love to have their county help them out. It's a shame...

WorriedAmerican - Actually, your estimate is probably low-balled because the funds outlined in the article only address the costs of these programs - they say nothing about the cost to build, maintain and staff the school directly. Those costs, of course, are covered by US taxpayers. GRRR!
(eg. as I like to remind folks of... the costs of tuition and related fees are but a part of the overall costs to educate a student in an institution of higher learning. The difference comes from state/local taxpayers, Federal grants/contract, etc. etc.)

Gonzalez said helping these students attain a college degree will lead to them becoming contributing members of the economy and taxpaying citizens.

So is Gonzalez saying that a person that doesn't have a college education can't be a contributing member of the economy and pay taxes?