Financial aid would be DREAM come true
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
By: Susan Phillips
sphillips@whyy.org
An organization that represents more than 5,000 colleges and universities is urging Congress to make undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children eligible for financial aid. The College Board is best known for administering the SAT and other achievement tests.
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Known as the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act, the legislation would permit undocumented high school graduates who came to the U.S. before their 16th birthday to apply for legal status. James Montoya is the vice president of the College Board. He says about 65,000 children of illegal immigrants graduate from high school each year, and do not have access to scholarships and loans.
Montoya: Higher education, many view as the high school diploma in the 1950's and 1960's. It is the pathway to success in American life.
The DREAM Act was first introduced back in 2001 and was recently reintroduced. In Pennsylvania, students cannot get in-state tuition unless they have a valid visa.
Legislation to ban undocumented residents from recieving grants and loans passed in the state Senate, but has not yet been voted on in the House.
