College Immigrant Students: A Case Study

In “Undocumented students’ Access to College: The American Dream Denied,” Chavez, Soriano and Olivia (2007) have stated that millions of students who live in United States are undocumented immigrants; most of them come to U.S at a very young age. They completed their high school and achieved great academic success, some of them even got admitted by well know universities. From 2002 onwards , Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) , authorized by the late Marco Antonio Firebaugh , allows any student who has completed three years high school, and received a high school diploma or equivalent in California, regardless of their immigration status, are legally allowed to attend colleges and universities (Chavez,Soriano and Oliverez 256).Even though they are eligible to apply and be admitted to universities, but they are not eligible to apply for federal financial aid, without the help of financial aid, it is extremely difficult for them to afford tuition. In this case, it severely limits undocumented student’s chances for upward mobility.

An educational reform in higher education would eliminate the many educational and occupational barriers undocumented students face today. By permitting access to undocumented students into postsecondary education and earn a degree would eliminate poverty and unemployment levels in the country. It is essential to give as many young people undocumented or not the opportunity to enroll and succeed in postsecondary education to strengthen the economy of the United States. The younger generations are the future of this country and undocumented students are not the exception. These young students also play an important part in society today and if given the opportunity to earn a professional degree will most definitely impact American society in the years to come.

The DREAM Act plays a big role in the nation’s effort to have the highest proportion of graduates in the world by 2020 (Miranda). Allowing this to pass would reduce the drop out rate significantly all throughout the country. 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school every year. In Luis Miranda’s Get The Facts On The Dream Act, Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan has stated that passing the Dream Act will allow “these young people to live up to their fullest potential and contribute to the economic growth of our country.” It gives students the incentive to go through school and get a degree. When undocumented students are attending school, some colleges wont accept them. Knowing that, they do not have the drive or interest in pursuing a college degree. A lot of immigrants now will finish high school, get there diploma, then go find a job. Having this bill passed will change the education in the United States forever.

Imagine this, going through high school having a 3.5 GPA, a four-year scholarship and having your dream university asking you to attend their school. Sounds awesome right? What happens when all of a sudden your four-year scholarship is taken away? Especially if this was your only financial resource that would help you attend school and all because you weren’t a U.S Citizen and your only hope happens to be the Dream Act. This bill will give undocumented students the opportunity to further their education and work their way to citizenship. Not only will these kids be helped, but they would also be able to help this economy become less flat as Thomas L. Friedman the author of the World Is Flat puts it. Friedman feels that foreign countries

Undocumented students are becoming a growing outrage in the United States. It has been a constant battle amongst the students, the schools, and the Government. According to collegeboard.com, statistics shows that 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools each year (collegeboard.com).After graduating high school they face legal and financial barriers to higher education. This paper will address the importance of this growing outrage and discuss the following that corresponds to it.

Through amnesty policies such as the DREAM act, illegal immigrants will have more access to a better education. This act will allow “students who have been living in the U.S. since they were young, a chance to contribute back to the country that has given so much to them and a chance to utilize their hard earned education and talents,” (Basic Information about the DREAM Act

Also the dream act is helpful because it lends them financial aid and they get a social security to then pay the country back. While they get educated the country is getting a reward as well. Like in the case of Carla Chavarria, she works in graphic design and still goes to college during the night time and with the money she gets she is paying her college tuition (Gonzales). This is what every student in the United States faces right after high school. They get a job and go to college. But, unfortunately some immigrants stop going to school because they cannot afford the tuition and the books. They get a job in the fields and work because they do not get hired for being resident. The hope they had to achieve their dreams just fade away because they know they can not get educated like everybody else. When the dream act was passed many immigrants got faith and very happy because their dreams were going to actually become a reality. In a way this is very helpful to illegal immigrants that want to be successful and live a stable life.

An issue that immigrants face is paying for the cost of college. According to the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services, DACA does not give citizenship or student aid. Students who go to college with grants, scholarship, or loans will still have to pay a higher cost in tuition. Although the Dream Act may seem beneficial, according to the American Immigration council, it has yet not become a law and does not offer financial

In order for immigrants to benefit from the DREAM Act, the criteria previously mentioned must be followed, however, not many immigrants in the U.S can benefit from the DREAM Act because they do not meet one or more of the requirements. According, to the American Immigration Council, there are approximately 65,000 undocumented students that graduate from high school but do not attend college because they cannot afford it. Since not all immigrants fall under these guidelines, they cannot procced with the DREAM Act. This leads to question if the DREAM Act is giving everyone equal opportunity for all immigrants to pursue a higher education or the Dream Act is not living up to the expectations of all.

Although the Dream Act seems to be an easy first step for young Latino immigrants in achieving the "American Dream", but the policy itself contains many internal flaws that cannot be disregarded. The Dream Act is not enacted for several reasons. One, by granting financial aid to undocumented students would violated the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996, which mandates that, "unauthorized aliens shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a state (or a political subdivision) for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such benefit...without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident" (Ruge et al., 2004, p. 262). Second, "good moral characters" is a vague phrase that cannot be measured as to how each person identifies "good moral characters"(Munoz, 2009, p. 8). Lastly, opponents of the dream act argued that the enactment of this policy would interfere with the benefits and interests

Many immigrants come to America in an effort to achieve a better life, and with hopes of achieving the “American Dream”. Many adults are grateful for any work that pays, but for their children the hopes are to get an education and become what they could not. Even with these opportunities many children of undocumented citizens are finding that once they complete high school their efforts of attending college are all but a dream. To assist this population the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) was proposed by Republican Senator Hatch Orin of Utah in August of 2001. It was an amendment to the Illegal Immigration Reform Control and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IRCA) of 1986, and was an effort to repeal

Allowing for immigrants to be able to obtain a higher education would benefit not only themselves, but the people of America as well. There are many students who wish to obtain a more desirable education, but are not able to succeed because they are not a natural born citizen. When asked “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan, a foreigner who treated a badly beaten man as the foreigner would have wished to be treated (Luke 10:25-37)” (Wellman). Our nation is filled with an extensive amount of immigrants who are devoted to make it in life and without them being able to speak English in this country, they are being blocked from following their dreams. The “American Dream” is the ideal that every U.S citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity

Right when illegal immigrants are granted legal status, the fear, anxiety, and worries are all gone. It starts to open a lot of pathways to success, or at least to start leading a normal life. Just like everyone else, the get to attain a driver’s license, Identification Card, open business, and have a more flexible schedule for work and mobility. Most importantly, many unfortunate students see the dream of continuing their studies to rise above earning and stressing with low income. For example, approximately 65,000 undocumented students graduated from high school each year and due to the barriers of not willing to apply themselves for higher education, they continued to be part of the poverty population (Schmid). Having the opportunity to apply in society norms starts making life easier. The benefits start to come in just like for any other American citizen. Greatest outcomes are being able to access college, universities, and increased job earnings, obtaining new jobs, internships, bank accounts, health care, credit card, and any other organizations. The embarrassment of not being able to do any of this is completely taken away.

There are 800,000 undocumented immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) passed by President Obama. Those persons known as Dreamers were brought illegally to the United States at a young age by their parents. Now they have pursued careers, started families, they have contributed to the United States of America, our country, their country. But on Tuesday, September 5th, 2017, the former president Donald Trump ended this program, leaving thousands of families with the uncertainty that if they will be back together again or not. Dreamers have brought pride to this country, they have been admitted into the best universities, they have received the best scholarships such as Bill Gates scholarship. DACA’s deadline is October 5th; this is the last opportunity for the Dreamers to continue with their right to pursue their education. Dreamers have to stay in the United States and be legal citizens because they have spent their whole life here, they help the U.S. economy, they bring cultural diversity to the country, the Dreamers as their name states want to achieve the American dream by pursuing a better education.

Affirmative action is good and bad. It helps to make sure that the people who can’t do school as well as others because of their language or childhood get into college. It’s bad because the people of the majority race can’t go to college and get educated in their major. You should not allow people in college by their ethnicity. Instead use grade systems, not what country you are from or the color of your skin.