Keeping the DREAM Alive
A state reciprocity agreement facilitates in-state tuition for undocumented students in New Mexico and Colorado.
Dina M. Horwedel
When Congress killed the immigration bill earlier this summer, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was one casualty as a component of that bill. But, as reported in Diverse in July, advocacy groups say they will not abandon efforts to pass the bill this fall and are gearing up for the impending fight.
“The next few months are critical after Congress resumes its session,” says Melissa Lazarin, associate director for education policy at the National Council of La Raza, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. Because like many issues, she says, the DREAM Act could get lost in the shuffle as the presidential election eclipses national media attention.
The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) says the DREAM Act is still needed to allow the 65,000 American-raised, but undocumented students that graduate from high school each year to apply for conditional residence status. These students would be eligible for conditional residence for a maximum of six years after graduating from high school if they complete at least two years of college and work toward a four-year degree or commit to at least two years of military service.
The DREAM Act would also eliminate a federal provision that discourages states from providing in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. This provision has the potential to help undocumented students afford an education. Under federal law, undocumented students do not qualify for federal and, in some cases, state financial aid, including grants or loans, Lazarin says.
