California Dream Act Offers Path to College for Undocumented Students

The new law, which goes into effect in 2013, waives community college fees for low-income students.

December 30, 2011 RSS Feed Print

However, Latino graduation rates are low. In California, 47 percent of first time, full-time white college students complete degrees compared to only 35 percent of Latinos, reports Excelencia in Education.

It's not clear how many undocumented students earn a college degree.

Only 5 percent to 10 percent of undocumented high school graduates enroll in college, estimates the Immigration Policy Center. Those who do are highly motivated.

"They hunger for education in a way that, sadly, some students in our country do not," says Isa Adney, a student life coordinator at Seminole State College in Florida.

At Downtown College Prep, which sends all its graduates to college, 540 students are much more likely to earn a degree than their classmates who are citizens or legal residents, says Andaluz. "Their attitude seems to be: 'My parents sacrificed so much for me. I can't squander my opportunities. The golden gates are going to open and I need to be ready.'"

Joanne Jacobs writes Community College Spotlight for The Hechinger Report, an independent nonprofit education news site. Jacobs also blogs about K-12 education and is the author of Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea and the Charter School That Beat the Odds.

Tags:: community colleges,; California,; financial aid

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Why Kristen Stewart had crutches at the Oscar? According to Stewart's make-up artist, Beau Nelson, the actress hurt herself after stepping on glass.

Dressefus 11:14PM February 26, 2013

What type of person would deny the right to obtain a fair and decent education to a child who came to this country without having the ability to reason or in fact the option to chose his own fate. the CA Dream act is the Christian thing to do.

Audrey K of CA 2:33AM June 24, 2012

California has the right to allow the illegal to attend the state colleges for free if that’s what they want. But the federal government should stop all federal education monies, or any federal money at all including any student loans to those schools.
Since we have a President that believes in illegal immigrants more than he believes in our country this will not happen. Soon they will get more money so they can teach all the classes in different languages.
Illegal immigration can be stopped.!
1) If you are caught hiring a illegal it is a $100,000 fine the first time.
Second time you lose your business.
2) If you rent to a illegal it is a $100,000 fine the first time. Second time you lose your property.
3) Any Government employee that knowingly helps or allows a illegal to get state or federal benefits of any kind will be terminated with lose of all benefits and must pay back all of the benefits handed out to the illegal.
4) Any government employee that knows of or does not act on a report of an illegal will be terminated and responsible for all monies or benefits received by the illegal.

Chuck B of MA 11:32AM January 01, 2012