Grants for Illegals takes Funding away from Citizens
the-telescope.com
By
Colleen Peters
August 29, 2011
Posted in: Opinion

California officially does not care about its own citizens.

At least it seems that way. By passing the D.R.E.A.M. Act, California is putting the needs of illegal immigrants ahead of their own citizens. Shouldn't California take care of its own citizens first?



There are two parts of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (D.R.E.A.M.) Act. The first, provides a path for the children of undocumented immigrants, who are also undocumented and therefore illegal, to become United States citizens.



The second part of the bill was passed on Aug. 26 and is arguably the more controversial portion. It seeks to not only allow these undocumented youth to qualify for California resident tuition costs, but also makes the student eligible for public financial aid, such as CalGrants.



It is rewarding them for breaking the law.



California, as well as the rest of the country, is in a huge financial crisis. The very last thing Gov. Jerry Brown needs to be doing is handing out more money. Especially to those whom, by their presence in California, are breaking the law.



The California education system has already seen massive budget cuts in the last few years. And, as recently as July 14, universityofcalifornia.edu reported a tuition hike of nearly 10 percent.



The price increases are not confined to the UC school system. According to calstate.edu, resident tuition for a California State University school was raised 12 percent for the 2011 fall semester and overall, tuition has increased from $1,428 to $4,500 in the last ten years alone.



If tuition is being raised due to a major budget deficit, how does California expect to compensate for their decision to pay the tuition of undocumented immigrants?



It may be argued that everyone deserves a fair chance to receive higher education. And maybe the illegal immigrants should be allowed to pay in-state tuition. But certainly it is going too far to allow immigrants, whom have come to California and live here illegally to receive a free education, funded with public tax dollars that they aren’t required to pay.



“I recognize that there are both financial and academic ramifications of illegal immigrants attending public schools,â€