The state of California is set to pass a new law that would allow illegal immigrants and the children of illegal immigrants to be eligible for state-funded financial aid. The bill, known as the California Dream Act, does not deal with citizenship, visas or green cards, but rather eliminates these issues as a factor in determining eligibility for financial aid.
While this equal opportunity approach is ideal in theory, the timing for an act of this cost could not be worse. In July of this year, the University of California and California State Universities raised tuition by 18 and 22 percent respectively. These tuition hikes resulted directly from the state of California’s ever-growing budget woes, and caused much controversy over the decreasing value of a California education.
With both the state school system and the economy in such a precarious state, the last thing California needs to be spending money on is more financial aid. According to The New York Times, the passage of the California Dream Act would provide illegal immigrants with more education benefits than they would receive in any other state. In addition, California Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed legislation that renders illegal immigrants eligible for private loans and scholarships to California schools. According to an analysis done by the state’s senate, the legislation is expected to cost the state about $40 million. With provisions for private loans and other aid available, the state does not need to be allocating additional funds to those who can obtain aid in other ways, especially given California’s financial troubles.
At the very least, the legislature should refocus some of the funds and funnel them into improving the quality of California schools, or, at the very least, preventing steep tuition hikes for in-state students. In-state students should not be at less of an advantage for the sake of out-of-staters, much less those who are not United States citizens.
The California Dream Act is a good idea in theory, one that should without a doubt be implemented in the future. A bill like that would eventually help the state’s economy because a much higher percentage of its residents would then be able to contribute much more socially and fiscally. But with the given economic climate, not only in California but also at the national level, we cannot afford the expense that this bill would entail.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
Finally, a common-sense article on this matter.
you’re right about how we’re in debt. but if we invest in the education of everyone including undocumented students, it will create a gradual economic investment for the future. the baby boomers will be retiring in the future, and experts say there will be millions of jobs that will need to be filled. once these undocumented students receive their residency, they will contribute even more money with their higher-earning jobs, also considering the fact that residents are taxed more than citizens. a portion of these students have been in the process of becoming residents, but because our immigration system is fucked up, the process is murky and slow, talking decades to establish residency. in terms of the education system, 30% of the tuition that students pay to the UC system pool of money goes back to them in the form of financial aid. undocumented students, who have to pay full tuition receive nothing from this pool. undocumented students have been paying not only for their tuition, but for your kids’ tuition as well, without getting any compensation. in essence they wouldn’t be taking your money, they would be receiving some of their own money back like you do. and they wouldn’t be “competing” with your kids for grants because your kids would be given the priority of receiving the grants before they do, like Calderon said they’ll be receiving the “leftovers.” and besides, whats wrong with equality in education? they’re already being treated as second class people, why segregate them even more?
Out-of-State, and Out-of-Country students with LEGAL visas pay much more than ILLEGAL ALIEN students who pay only in-state tuition. They are not eligible either. Your neglected to mention how AB 131 gives fee waivers, subsidies for living expenses, other State and Federal monies. See this site to review this bill:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/hispanicleaders.asp
And the immigration works just fine and usually takes ten years, see:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
http://www.ice.gov/#
I find it very hard to believe that only this pool of students will be California’s answer to an imagined shortage of labor in the future.
Call Governor Brown to NOT sign AB 131:
1-916-445-2841, Press one, Then 2, Then 1, Then 2 to vote in Opposition to AB 131.