By Ashley B. Charles
Western Sun staff writer
Nearly 65,000 undocumented students graduate from public high schools in the United States each year. Thousands of them will soon be able to apply for state-funded financial aid if Governor Jerry Brown signs AB 131, also known as part two of the controversial California Dream Act.
The measure, passed by the State Assembly with a 45-27 vote, will give children, brought to the US before the age of 16 without proper immigration documentation, the chance to attend and pay for higher education. It will only apply to students who entered the country before the law is enacted.
To qualify, each student must file an affidavit stating his or her intent to apply for legal immigration status when he or she is eligible to do so. Other qualifications include having lived in California for at least five years and attending a high school in the state for three years.
Governor Brown will likely sign the bill after amending the first half in July 2011 and supporting such legislation during his 2010 campaign. The first half made it possible for undocumented youth to receive privately funded scholarships.
At the bill-signing ceremony in July, Brown told reporters, “I’m committed to expanding opportunity wherever I can find it, and certainly bill [that] promote a goal of a more educated California.”
California’s Dream Act differs from the federal government’s Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, (DREAM.)
It provided a bridge to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who display “good moral character” by graduating from a United States high school, pursuing higher education, serving in the U.S. military and/or having no criminal record.
The bill died on the Senate floor at the end of last year, and again when reintroduced this past summer, giving states autonomy to decide whether or not it would allow illegal immigrants to benefit from financial aid.
Exactly how many undocumented students are enrolled in courses at GWC was not available from the Enrollment or Research Offices during press time.
Officials say such information is protected by Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The bill has caused a stir on both sides of the immigration debate.
“I think they should be able to receive financial aid because they represent our future generation,” expressed Adileni Peñaloza, an undeclared sophomore.
“Students deserve to receive an education to excel.”
Not all students agree. “We don’t even have enough money for our own citizens to attend school, so why should we pay for illegal immigrants,” Rebekah Tharp rhetorically asked. “It’s not fair.”
Brown has until the end of the month to either sign or veto AB 131.
This article forgets to mention how AB 131 gives free State and Federal monies for books, living expenses, etc and fee (tuition) waivers. This all, for the opportunity of attaining a higher education at the expense of Legal Students who see increasing tuition and loss of financial aid and loss of placement in education.
Let’s not mention that the State of California is billions in debt with social services cut for sick, aged, and disabled, parks are closed, infrastructure is crumbling, State and Local employees are laid off. Let’s not mention that these ILLEGAL ALIEN STUDENTS cannot be employed legally as AB 131 provides no path to citizenry. Only a Federal DREAM Act would grant (another) blanket amnesty, which will probably never happen. This group is NOT our future as they have no future here without actively pursuing citizenry, lacking the desire or ability.
AB 131 is just a political ploy to garner votes, It doesn’t solve any problems. It only creates more of them.