Modified DREAM Act passes House Higher Education Committee

February 21, 2013 at 1:39 PM | Jillian Stampher

The DREAM Act, a bill extending state financial aid to non-citizen students with deferred action status who have graduated from Washington high schools, passed through the House Higher Education Committee on Thursday.

The approval of House Bill 1817, however, followed concerns about the effects of expanding the pool of students eligible for state financial aid.

“We have approximately 32,000 who are eligible but can’t get aid — mainly because we don’t have the money,” Rep. Larry Haler (R-Richland) said. “[By expanding the eligibility,] we would be dangling a promise out there that they are eligible but won’t get it because of money.”

An amendment to extend aid to undocumented students only after eligible resident students received aid was dismissed despite these concerns.

“The point of the bill would be undermined if we adopted the amendment,” Committee Chair Rep. Larry Seaquist (D-Gig Harbor) said.

The committee instead adopted a substitute version of the bill, which requires students complete their senior years of high school in Washington.

Reach News Editor Jillian Stampher at news@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @JillianStampher

http://dailyuw.com/archive/2013/02/21/news/modified-dream-act-passes-house-higher-education-committee