The DREAM ACT

Policy Brief

EOL 568 April 9, 2013 Authored by: Jennifer DeLuna

The DREAM ACT

Policy Brief

Executive Summary
The United States is a country defined by immigrant citizens from all over the world. It thrives on the diversity that has been created by its forefathers in hopes to create a better future for the world as a whole. The access to the American dream is solidified by the educational foundation that is given to all that inhabit these lands. With an educational system that gives access to all from grades K-12 regardless of citizenship status it can be very frustrating to a student that lacks the status of US citizenship the idea of not continuing their education after high school graduating. In this policy brief we will discuss the following:

Brief History of the ACT Dispel the myths of ACT Introduce the Illinois ACT Competitive View Current Research Recommendations

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In a country that prides itself with being diverse and accessible to those seeking an opportunity to a better life we are creating various barriers to accessing that opportunity. One way we have limited this access is by limiting the educational pathways. This policy brief will

discuss those Educational pathways and misconceptions of policies that support undocumented students. The levels of access offered to these students. It is important as this is a pathway to education and not focused on citizenship.

History
Many individuals who do not support the DREAM Act have a variety of platforms from which to draw. One reason they may be against this piece of legislation is they find that the law may be a way to gain citizenship to the united states, they see this act as a way to give individuals who came to the united states illegally an avenue for citizenship. Many unsupporters also feel that this piece of legislation is given individuals who are not citizens of this country advantages when seeking higher education in regards to funding and services. The DREAM Act is A bipartisan solution to this flaw in our immigration policy has been repeatedly introduced and debated in Congress since 2001: the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act. Although the DREAM Act has not yet been enacted into law, it has a large base of support both in and out of Congress.[1]The DREAM Act was brought forth to congress by Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois who saw the need for reform in the realm of immigration and education. President Barack Obama has shown unwavering support for the DREAM ACT and is working hard to convince congress to pass the bill. Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois passed the Illinois
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DREAM ACT on August 1, 2011. The DREAM Act is designed to allow undocumented immigrant youth who were brought to the country years ago as children to obtain legal permanent resident status if they remain in school through high school graduation and go on to college or military service. The current version of the DREAM Act would permit students to obtain legal permanent resident

status if they satisfy the following conditions: (1) they entered the United States at the age of 15 or younger and are under 35 on the date of the bills enactment; (2) they have been continuously present in the country for at least five years prior to the bills enactment; (3) they have obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent; and (4) they can demonstrate good moral character. [1] President Hogan of the University of Illinois was one of six University presidents in Illinois to sign a letter in support of the DREAM Act written to congress in the letter to congress president Hogan along with his colleagues state, Universities are institutions committed to the education of young people. It is our duty to prepare the next generation for lives of service and achievement. So when one segment of our community is cut off from educational and career opportunities, it is also our duty to act. At times in American history, we have withheld educational opportunities from women, from African-Americans, from Jews. But each time, universities stepped into the fray. Our campuses desegregated. We opened our doors to women. We said no to religious discrimination in higher education. Each time, universities were called upon to provide equal access to education and career opportunities. Today, we can rise to the challenge again. The DREAM Act would allow undocumented youth who graduate from an American high school the chance to earn legal status by completing college or entering the military. The bill is about preserving the American dream and lifting up the values of hard work and fair play. [2] The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has had many research projects conducted
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on students who are undocumented which are featured on the ideals website but do not offer a lot of support to those students who are undocumented. They can get support in regards to services and needs at La Casa Cultural Latina but unlike our sister Institution University of Illinois at Chicago we do not have a committee dedicated to finding funds for this population. According to

the UIC financial aid website The DREAM Scholarship Committee is a group of student leaders, alumni and staff from various campus-based organizations at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The committee's goal is to support students who have earned their high school degree, but often encountered road blocks when pursuing a post-secondary education. [3] Both UIC and UIS knowingly admit students who are undocumented and offer aid to those students according to a questionnaire answer on the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling website. Aid could be in the form of the PAP scholarship at UIC or the merit based aid scholarships at UIS. Being the flagship institution in Illinois we need to do a better job at supporting these students just as our sister institutions do in the University of Illinois system. Myths A variety of DREAM Act supporters and those who not in support of the act have voiced concern about a few stipulations in the act. In this section will dispel a few of those myths the first myth to dispel is that of taxpayers contributions. In a time where the economy is beginning to stabilize after a downward turn many taxpayers are defensive on where their taxpayer dollars my end up. Many individuals who are uneducated on the bill assume the following The DREAM Act uses taxpayer dollars for scholarships and grants to undocumented students. In fact The DREAM Act states that undocumented youth adjusting to lawful permanent resident status are only eligible for federal student loans (which must be paid back), and federal workstudy programs, where they must work for any benefit they receive. They are not eligible for federal grants, such as Pell Grants. [4] The second myth that is quite prevalent when discussing the DREAM Act is that undocumented students will pay tuition at a much lower rate than citizens. The DREAM Act allows undocumented students to pay cheaper tuition than citizens. When actually, the
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DREAM Act gives states the option to offer in-state tuition to students registered under DREAM, but it does NOT guarantee cheaper tuition. At most, the DREAM Act allows undocumented students to access the same benefits as their peers. The DREAM Act allows undocumented students to access in-state tuition, but only if they would otherwise qualify for such tuition, and if state law permits undocumented students to receive in-state tuition. [4] The final myth that is crucial to dispel in regards to the DREAM Act is that of gaining US citizenship. Many uneducated individuals on the bill seem to think that the DREAM Act is a way to gain citizenship into the United States The DREAM Act will result in a mass amnesty. When in fact the DREAM Act is not an amnesty. No one will automatically receive a green card. To legalize, individuals have to meet stringent eligibility criteria: they must have entered the United States before age 16; must have been here for five years or more; must not have committed any major crimes; must graduate from high school or the equivalent; and must complete at least two years of college or military service. Eligible students must first obtain conditional residency and complete the requirements before they can obtain a green carda process that will take years. Not all immigrants who came as young children will be eligible to legalize because they will not meet some of these requirements. [4] Although there are many other myths to dispel in regards to the DREAM Act the three mentioned above are the most crucial in regards to deciding to support the act or not.
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Illinois DREAM Act The Illinois DREAM Act will make Illinois the first state in
Gov. Quinn The day Illinois DREAM Act was signed with students

the country to create a private scholarship fund for undocumented youth. It also eases the path to higher education for undocumented youth, 65% of whom come from households that earn 200% under the poverty line. [5] The Illinois DREAM Act that was signed into law

by Governor Pat Quinn in 2011 will allow undocumented youth a pathway to higher education. It will also allow those who are undocumented to Illinois instate tuition and access to college savings plans. This plan also requires that all high school counselors receive extensive training and education to be able to help this population of students. The Illinois DREAM ACT will also enable a commission of qualified individuals appointed by the Illinois governor to create a fund for students to apply to in order to get money to finance their education. Gov. Pat Quinn today signed a measure into law creating a privately-funded scholarship program for documented and undocumented immigrants, a move supporters hailed as a victory as other states have recently moved in the other direction on immigration. Quinns signature on the Illinois DREAM Act creates a nine-member commission that will oversee the scholarship fund.[6] The exact wording of the Illinois act is below and is from the ICCR website.

What will the IL DREAM Act do?

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1. Allows anyone with a taxpayer number, including undocumented students, to participate in the State Treasurers College Savings Pool and the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Plan. These programs allow families of Dream youths to plan ahead and invest and save for their childrens college education.

2. High school college counselors are required to be better trained and prepared to know what college options are available for undocumented students and children of immigrants. This will ensure that undocumented students will receive correct information about opportunities available to them after high school. These trainings will be incorporated into existing trainings for counselors. 3. Requires the IL Student Assistance Commission to establish an Illinois DREAM Fund Commission administered by volunteers of the State appointed by Governor Quinn. The IL DREAM Fund Commission will establish scholarships for qualified undocumented students. The scholarships will be funded entirely by private donors and contributions.

Who Qualifies?

In order to qualify for the benefits of the IL dream act, you must:

1. Have resided with parents or guardians while attending high school in Illinois; 2. Have attended a high school in Illinois for at least 3 years from the time of graduation or receiving the equivalent of a high school diploma (such as GED); 3. Have at least one parent who immigrated to the United States [5]

The Illinois DREAM Act will not be an avenue for undocumented students to get Illinois identification and is not an act that will allow for undocumented individuals to gain benefits from
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the Illinois government. The American Dream The American Dream is still a dream many individuals in other countries still aspire to attain. It is a reason why many individuals have risked the well-being of themselves and their

families in order to be prosperous. For those individuals who had the fortune or if you prefer misfortune of coming to this country as a child with their parents it is the only country they have ever known. Having the opportunity to obtain a higher degree of education is not only their dream but the only option they have ever known in a country that encourages and often times requires you obtain a higher degree in order to reach that American dream or even an income high enough to survive in times of economic hardship. The DREAM Act does not guarantee that a DREAMER will gain employment but it ensures their right to education. This piece of legislation does not begin to address the topic of immigration but rather creates a pathway for individuals to pursue their education or to enlist in the military for the only country they have ever called home. The United States Government still needs to clarify and clearly define the legislation to really identify exactly what a DREAMER is entitled to. The legislators will need to also address what happens once these individuals have obtained their degrees and create ways for companies to endorse them to work in in the united states so that in turn increase the economic capacity of the country. The Legislators also need to work with all states to create equity and inclusion in their institutions of higher learning. Education needs to be provided to the entire country on the undocumented population.
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This includes accurate reporting in regards to their ethnicities (not everyone is of Latina/decent) their struggles, and how they contribute to this country. (See Graph Below) As of March 2008, there were 11.9 million undocumented migrants living in the United States. They represent countries from around the globe, but most come from Latin America: Of the 9.6 million unauthorized immigrants from Latin American countries, 7

million are from Mexico. Although small by comparison, the number of other undocumented immigrants has risen since 2000 [1]

% of Undocumented Migrants Living in the US

90.00% 80.00% 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Latin American Asia Europe & Canada Africa & other Countries

% of Undocumented Migrants Living in the US

As of April 12, 2014 the DREAM Act has still not passed into law (see box to the right) and it is up to the citizens to be educated on this Legislation. Because we are a nation of immigrants and are able to

In U.S. Congress
46/60 Senators say Yea on DREAM Act 37 say Nay, 17 others 162/218 Reps say Yea on DREAM Act 79 say Nay, 199 others [7]

elect officials who could be unbiased and create legislation to ensure equity to all being informed regardless of stance and passing legislation such as the DREAM Act could only be to our benefit as a country. Websites UIC Resources for Undocumented Students Website http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/residency/fin_aid.html UIS Undocumented Student Scholarship http://www.uis.edu/diversitycenter/scholarships/hispanicscholarships.html DREAM Act Portal

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http://dreamact.info/ The DREAM Act Immigration policy http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/issues/DREAM-Act DREAM Activist Organization http://www.dreamactivist.org/text-of-dream-act-legislation/general-faq/

http://icirr.org/illinoisdream Illinois Dream Fund http://www.illinoisdreamfund.org/ Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling http://www.iacac.org/undocumented/ Sources 1 Gonzales, Roberto G. (April 2009) Young Lives on Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students. Retrieved from http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/young-lives-on-hold-college-board.pdf 2 Hogan, Michael J., D. Holtschneider, M. J.Garanzini, S.K. Hahs, C. Middleton, & D.Carroll University President Statement in favor of the DREAM Act: Why We Support the DREAM Act Retrieved from http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/residency/Illinois-univ-presidents-DREAMstatement.pdf 3 UIC Website. (April 11, 2013). Resources for Undocumented Students. Retrieved from http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/residency/fin_aid.html 4 American Immigration Council (November 23, 2010). Dispelling DREAM Act Myths. Retrieved from Dispelling_DREAM_ACT_Myths_1123201.pdf 5 Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights (2013, April 10) Retrieved from http://icirr.org/illinoisdream 6 Garcia, Monique (August 1, 2011). Quinn signs Illinois DREAM Act . Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011 -0801/news/chi -quinn-signs-illinois-dream-act-20110801_1_quinn-signs-pat-quinntoday-undocumented -immigrants 7. DreamPortal Homepage (2013, April 12). Retrieved from http://dreamact.info/today

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