Nanette Asimov,Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff Writers
Saturday, October 8, 2011
(10-08) 13:53 PDT Sacramento — For the first time, thousands of California students who are in the country illegally will be eligible to receive financial aid to attend any public college in the state at taxpayer expense, beginning in 2013, as Gov. Jerry Brown today signed into law AB131, known as the California Dream Act.
The University of California once subsidized tuition for undocumented students, but that benefit ended in 1996 with the passage of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. That law required states to develop guidelines if they wanted to offer tuition help to undocumented students, but few states did.
Texas did. And now, so has California.
The law signed by the governor makes it legal for public aid to flow to students planning to attend any public campus in California. The UC regents, who govern UC independently from the Legislature, will have to vote separately but are likely to support the new law.
Opponents favoring stricter immigration laws are warning that they will try to block the law through a referendum on next year’s ballot.
But advocates for the rights of undocumented students cheered wildly at the news.
The California Student Aid Commission, which administers Cal Grants, calculates that 5,462 undocumented students will be eligible for state aid in the 2013-14 school year, at a cost of slightly more than $13 million.
“We have consistently supported this bill,” said Executive Director Diana Fuentes-Michel. “The commission believes that the investment that California will make in these students will have a positive benefit not only economically, but socially to our society.”
The cost to taxpayers will actually be higher than $13 million in any given year because many undocumented students will also be eligible for a fee waiver at community colleges aimed at very low-income students, and others will qualify for institutional aid provided by CSU and UC.
At UC, that could amount to $4 million or $5 million a year, the university’s legislative director, Nadia Leal-Carrillo, wrote in a letter to the governor last month urging him to pass the bill.
Opponents say the Dream Act will be nothing short of a nightmare for overburdened taxpayers.
“Tuition rates have been going up, the universities have budget cuts of $1.2 billion and there are lotteries for classes – but if someone is here illegally, we roll out the red carpet,” said Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks (San Bernardino County), who serves as vice chairman of the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee.
Donnelly said opponents are wary about suing to block the new law because California courts have favored undocumented students, upholding their right to pay in-state tuition rates, for example.
But letting voters decide might be different, Donnelly said.
“It would go down in flames,” said the lawmaker, who has traveled up and down the state meeting with many people – “not just (with) Tea Party or church groups, but mixed crowds” who don’t like the idea of paying college support for undocumented students.
Despite their lack of legal paperwork, the students – most of whom are now in high school – won’t be hiding in the shadows. Already, such students are required to come forward and sign an affidavit saying they are in the process of requesting legal status if they want to pay the lower in-state tuition rate at public universities.
Like other Cal Grant applicants, those without residency documents will have to maintain at least a B average in high school if applying to California State University or UC, or a C average if aiming for community college.
The heads of California’s three public university systems and many campus leaders have expressed strong support for the law authored by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles.
Earlier this year, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau used a five-minute audience with President Obama to urge support for a federal version of the Dream Act pending before Congress.
To read entire story, click here.
I thought we were broke?
Admin. I need a new name, kk?
elections are coming up and he has to get the illegal votes.hope the illegal takes him out while hes driving home
wE Got so much taxpayers money Brown can apparently afford to GIVE IT AWAY! So when the Democrats want more taxes extended tell them to GO TO HELL>>>get the money from the illegals!
Brown should be thrown out of office. Mexican Cedillo should be sent back to Mexico. This is what happens when you vote for a DemocRAT.
As sure as day follows night we are going to take back what was taken from us, then we are going to deport all you gringos back to east of the Mississippi .
This is only the first step.
Our educated comrades will next run for office beginning with local then state assembly and the governorship. Our Comrade Governor will then declare all our compadres citizens of the new State of Mexifornia and declare Tequila the official drink.
Via Con Obama, gringos.
Brown is not going to get re elected this way and neither is Obama. The voters will have the final say here real soon. The dream Act should have covered all students and not just a select few that in many persons eyes should have been taken care of last instead of first! Our government leaders seem to be hell bent on creating racial issues that should not even be a problem. They are dividing Americans and causing hate unnecessarily. “Shame on all of you politicians doing this!” Also It won’t take the spot light off you for your misappropriation of our tax dollars and this is not fixing our deficit!!!! The American people are smarter than you think.
To the soon to be cucaracha eaters:
We are already taking our State back, a reality that has you gringos foaming at the mouth. We are supplying and breeding your little white putas and the little brown ten fingered cholos they are popping out will soon be the new elite that will do our bidding.
We are already taking over the BOS along with our cuz Ramos and the plan is to take more of you gringos’ money at the casinos we will be building in every city in our new State of MEXIFORNIA.
observer: Once upon a time I thought that President Obama would make a big difference in America how ever he seems to be proving me very wrong!
Everyone that is outraged here in the Inland Empire needs to contact Assemblyman Tim Donnelly and see how they could help.
http://arc.asm.ca.gov/rss/audioPodcast.aspx?sid=427
WE clean your toilets” …Antonio VillaRaigosa on why amnesty shoud be granted.
And then Governor Clown wonders why nobody wants to pay higher taxes. He’s an idiot. This is going to get overturned at the ballot box.