Repeal The Dream Act Of State Tuition Rates At Public Universities Essay

The undocumented students that will benefit from the Dream Act are students that are practically U.S citizens but not by birth. Some opponents to the Dream Act don’t realize how much these students have suffered throughout their life. The article, “Standing up for Immigrant Students,” mentions all of these hardships and struggles; children are exposed to many dangers when crossing the border, and once they settle in the U.S they face other hardships and struggles like learning a new language, meeting the expectations of their instructors, and being discriminated against (4-5). Despite the obstacles they encounter in their path, many manage the way to do well in school and many overpass American students and become leaders in their community. Being undocumented becomes a major issue for undocumented high school graduates who want to continue their education because it’s nearly impossible to attend a University and get federal help because a valid social security number is required. These young adults are some of the best and brightest students in this country;

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.

Being an undocumented college student can be very difficult, there are many economical and emotional barriers. College tuition doubles when you are undocumented and must be a resident of the state you’d like to attend school in. Some schools require you to be US born in other to attend the school. Fortunately, Deferred Action for Childhood

Many proponents of the DREAM Act argue that “these kids were brought to the United States before they had a say in their life circumstances. Denying them hope and opportunity is punishment for an act beyond their control” (Fitz). Supporters of the DREAM Act continually advertise this argument; They claim that the children are innocent, and the United States is treating these children unjustly, but not rewarding them with “legal residence and expensive college tuition subsidies is simply withholding benefits to which they never had any entitlement in the first place” (Mehlman). These children are innocent, and deserve to be given an opportunity to come to the United States and have a good education, but it should not be through the DREAM Act or illegal immigration. It is not un-American to prioritize United States citizens, and other immigrants waiting to enter the country legally. A gross misconception is that DACA is only opposed by a radical few who want to hurt innocent children and families, but “a recent Quinnipiac University poll shows that Americans across the political spectrum favor tougher enforcement of existing immigration laws over rolling out the amnesty welcome wagon.” (Malkin). Despite this poll, many patrons of the DREAM Act think that continued amnesty is a right the United States is taking away, when in truth, the general public supports tougher immigration law. The DREAM literally goes against popular opinion, as it sponsors amnesty, and not harsher immigration

Imagine a world with an educated youth. Now imagine a parallel world where children are fighting to keep a smile on their faces, because, in truth, it is the only thing they have. In reality, this is what is happening. Youth, who have the privilege to be American citizens, are granted a very fulfilling education with a promise of a career. Children of illegal and undocumented immigrants do not have such luck. Some undocumented children in America have very promising futures and even a degree under their belts, but they cannot apply for a job because they have no proof of citizenship. A controversial topic is the matter of the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education, for Alien Minors) which permits undocumented immigrants to obtain

In 1996, Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) which prevented undocumented students to receive postsecondary educational benefit on the basis of residence in a state unless U.S. citizens a were eligible for the same benefit (Frum, 2007). However, the act did not prohibit states from granting in-state tuition to undocumented students; rather, the act mentioned that out-of-state U.S. citizens must also qualify for the same benefits. According to Olivas (2004), the IIRIRA gives states the authority to determine state residency for tuition purpose.

Since the 1700’s the U.S. has been working on and has implemented policies try to restrict and govern the immigrants entering this country. Many immigrants come to America looking for a better way of life than what was destined for them in their native lands.

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.

The Dream Act, the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act is a bipartisan legislation pioneered by Sen. Orin Hatch [R-UT] and Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL].The undocumented students will granted a conditional legal status. Within the 6 years the student must be able to obtain a degree from a four year university. After the 6 years passes the conditional status becomes a legal American citizen. The following is the detailed qualification process obtained from the official web site of the dream act:

The current public policy, the statues quo, is the first alternative. This policy allows undocumented students who have resided in Texas for at least 3 years, graduated from a Texas high school, and who sign an affidavit ensuring they will apply for legal status as soon as possible to attend colleges and universities in Texas while receiving state aid (“SB 1403 Bill Analysis”, 2001). This policy has benefited thousands of undocumented immigrants since it was first enacted in 2001. This policy does not reward the immigrants like many claim, but instead evens out the plaining field for children who were brought into the state and country at no fault of their own. Undocumented students who pursue higher education constitute a small group of extremely

The first policy alternative, the status quo, is to not repeal or change the current makeup of the Texas Dream Act. Texas awards around $9 million in grants and scholarships, which are paid from the appropriations made by the legislature every two years. This might seem like a large amount but that cost is merely a fraction of the net profit the states makes off of undocumented students paying tuition at universities across the state. By not changing the policy Texas would expect to attain $56.1 million in tuition revenue from the undocumented students attending universities in Texas. Besides the tuition revenue, Texas would expect to see another $65 billion from wages, salaries and business earning by undocumented immigrants. The extra

The reason is that there will be fair admission to higher education once the nonresident student successfully fulfills the needful requirements for admission. This will also make a fair treatment for students by the college institution and among students themselves. Once the student complies with the residency requirements, the student is entitled to access to an in-state tuition or resident tuition rate which is granted according to the Texas Law. “Texas House Bill 1403 granted certain non­immigrant students, including undocumented stu­dents, access to in­state tuition rates at Texas public institutions of higher education and state financial aid. To qualify, the bill required students to have: resided in Texas with a parent or guardian while attending high school in Texas, resided in Texas for the three years leading to graduation or receipt of a GED or provided their institutions a signed affidavit indicating intent to apply for perma­nent resident status as soon as able to do so”(Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board). Although the House Bill 1403 may have required three years of residency, the Senate Bill 1528 repealed House Bill 1403 and dropped the requirement of having lived with a parent and establishing residency at 12 months.(Heilig, et

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.

There is always that one student that has a strong work ethic and when things get exacerbated they keep working and just do not quit. These students are students who are eager to learn who want succeed, but when it comes to the end of their high school career, what happens? There are approximately 65,000 young adults that are undocumented and graduate each year from high school ( “The DREAM Act Immigration Access to Higher Education.”). These students want to achieve something prominent for themselves they have the grades and the qualifications so that they can attend college. The main obstacle standing in their way is citizenship or residency. This complication prohibits them from being able to apply for government

Higher education costs have been increasing at a rapid pace, faster than inflation for the economy as a whole, for the past fifty years. It started in the 1960’s when the federal government passed the Higher Education Act to increase the amount of people able to afford and attend college. Regardless of the Unites States Government efforts to increase the affordability of college, federal aid programs have not risen to expectations due to the ever-increasing college prices. To lower the price of college, the government needs to cut back on student financial spending to go only to the lowest income families and create tax incentives for families to start saving up on their own.