Thread: Dream Act bill could provide public funds for college!

Dream Act bill could provide public funds for college
Posted at 10:21 PM on Thursday, May. 26, 2011
By Heather Somerville / The Fresno Bee

Dream Act bill for college funds advances

Members of the state Assembly will vote Friday on a bill that could fling open the doors to higher education for undocumented students by offering them public money for college.

For students, the bill is the most critical component of the California Dream Act. It is also the most controversial. AB 131 would let immigrants apply for and receive state grants, university scholarships and fee waivers – the same aid offered to legal residents.

Its passage would mark a sweet victory for immigration-reform advocates and open up a world of opportunities for undocumented students who can't afford college. It would also fuel the ire of conservatives and anti-immigrant groups, some of whom call the bill unfair and fiscally irresponsible. The additional public scholarships would cost the state about $32.2 million.

The Assembly Committee on Appropriations takes up AB 131 today. Because 12 of the 17 committee members are Democrats, proponents say they're confident the bill will pass and move to the full Assembly for a vote. It would then have to pass a Senate vote. Both bodies are Democratic-controlled.

Alex Chavez is an undocumented student at Fresno State. He would be eligible for state aid for school if AB 131 were to pass. Chavez is also the local organizer for the California Dream Network, a coalition of activists pushing for passage of the Dream Act.

Gov. Jerry Brown said earlier he would sign the Dream Act if it comes to his desk.

At California State University, Fresno, undocumented students make up less than 1% of the student body. But Raul Moreno, coordinator of university migrant services at Fresno State, said more would enroll if they could get state funding.

Undocumented students can't qualify for state and federal aid, so many work their way through college. A few, such as recent Fresno State graduate and former student government President Pedro Ramirez, rely on assistance from private individuals.

College is not an option for "a huge majority" of undocumented students who qualify but have no way to pay for it, Moreno said.

The new law "would open the door," Moreno said. "This would tell the students, 'Look, the state can help you go to college.' "

In 2010-11, 267 students were enrolled at Fresno State under AB 540, which allows nonresident students to pay in-state tuition. The group includes undocumented immigrants, military members and others. AB 131 would apply to all students in this category.

Fresno higher education officials, some of the bill's strongest advocates, say it would give undocumented students access to the same state resources as other students.

"These students have every right to be here," said Paul Oliaro, vice president of student affairs at Fresno State. "This is a step in the right direction."

Fresno State junior Alex Chavez agrees. The 20-year-old has the grades and ambition of any successful college student but was able to enroll only through the generosity of a woman in Visalia who saw his potential and offered to help pay his way.

Chavez's story mirrors that of so many undocumented students: at age 3, he and his brother were loaded into a pickup and driven across the Mexican border to meet their mother, who had immigrated to California illegally months before. His parents found work and earned enough that Chavez, always a strong student, was certain college was in his future.

But when Chavez was a sophomore at Tulare Union High School, his father received a deportation notice, lost his job, and was sent back to Mexico two years later. Chavez's mother scraped together enough money by cleaning houses in Visalia to send him to community college. Then one of her customers offered to pay Chavez's tuition, and he transferred to Fresno State last semester.

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/05/26/240 ... z1NkLBwRJs

California taxpayers have MORE money to give to Illegal aliens? I thought they were broke...lol

BAD IDEA HERE...Giving Illegal Aliens benefits will only draw more massive waves of Illegals (not to mention it will cost American taxpayers)

Very foolish

Raacciiiism. This tuition aid is not available to citizens.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why Californians don't object to their money being used in this way. Especially, when their own children can't afford college.

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

Raacciiiism. This tuition aid is not available to citizens.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why Californians don't object to their money being used in this way. Especially, when their own children can't afford college.

Let's not forget that California is broke too. Why would you give illegal aliens a tuition break when your increasing taxes and reducing other programs?

This angers me like no other they cut funding for asisided living for the elderly and the mentially disabled, to our schools! They say were broke but we can afford to pay for this! Id be in colledge if it were free for me too I've been told more than 5 times I don't qualifiy for any aid over my life time! At 1 point I was making less than 20k a year and had a daughter and scraping just to get by! The lady actually had the gaul to tell me to lie and say I was a minority! I might not have much but I do have morals and informed her that if I can't do it honestly than I'm not going too! This is very raciest white people don't qualifiy for anything anymore!

Only white people can be racists and only white people will remain silent and PC in the face of attacks of lies about what other ethnicities or races think white people think about them.

Oprah is celebrated for supporting black colleges with free scholarships and even schools in Africa. Has Oprah even helped one white person? Ever? Have white people complained about her obvious racial bias?

Have white Congressmen and women complained about the Black caucuses or Hispanic caucuses? Is there a white caucus? What would happen if there was?

I notice on our police report obvious Hispanic or Latino named individuals are called white when they are arrested. I believe any white person should be eligible for a scholarship from LaRaza or LULAC or MeCHA and should apply pronto.

GaPatriot wrote:

Oprah is celebrated for supporting black colleges with free scholarships and even schools in Africa. Has Oprah even helped one white person? Ever? Have white people complained about her obvious racial bias?

Didn't she give a few of them a free car?

You're right though, Oprah's so-called charity spending is mostly to those of her own race. Any respect I had for her was lost when she jumped on the Obama band-wagon with a fervor. Her motivating reasons were very obvious.