Part of Dream Act Approved by California Senate
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the controversial part of the California Dream Act, which would allow illegal immigrant students who qualify for reduced in-state tuition to apply for an estimated $40 million in Cal Grants, community college fee waivers, and other public scholarship and grant programs.
Since 2006, different versions of the bill have been passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature but were vetoed by then-Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), the author of the Dream Act, said he expected this bill to pass the Senate and Assembly next week and land on the governor’s desk soon after.
In a Fresno campaign event last year, Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has pledged support for the bill’s concept. Last month he signed a companion bill, AB 130, that gave undocumented students access to $88 million in private scholarship and grants for the first time.
In order to address the governor’s concerns about the measure’s costs given California’s economic distress, limitations have been placed by Cedillo to reduce costs. The program’s start date has been pushed back by six months and a provision that would have expanded the pool of eligible students to graduates of adult and technical schools has been removed. Thus, if passed, the benefits of the program will be limited to high school graduates who attended California high schools for at least three years.
It is not known how many undocumented students will be eligible to apply for the aid. Currently about 41,000 (less than 1% of total enrollment) undocumented immigrant and out-of-state resident students in the UC, Cal State and community college system receive reduced in-state tuition. But a Senate fiscal analysis estimated the bill’s annual costs at $13 for Cal Grants, up to $15 million for community college fee waivers and up to $12 million in institutional aid for UC and CSU.
Opponents of this bill claim that the state can ill afford new benefits for anyone, let alone illegal immigrants. Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform called the bill “an outrage” to Californians.
But proponents include immigrant rights activists, faith-based organizations and both labor and business groups. Gary Toebben, president of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, said it is vital for the state’s economic future that immigrant students be equipped with education and skills to replace the millions of baby boomers who are set to retire in the next decade.
The Senate committee’s action comes just days after the Obama administration announced it would review 300,000 cases of undocumented students, workers and others facing deportation and put on hold those considered “low-priority” – most likely, nonviolent cases. Also, earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld California’s policy of extending reduced in-state tuition to undocumented students.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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