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ACCESS
TO HIGHER EDUCATION FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS
By: Matthew Briggs, Advancement Project
Advocates throughout the country are mobilizing
to ensure that all interested and eligible high
school graduates have the opportunity to pursue
higher education at in-state tuition rates. Each
year tens of thousands of undocumented students,
who have lived in the U.S. for at least 5 years,
graduate from U.S. high schools . Many of these
students are academically eligible for admission
to local four-year universities but cannot attend
and sometimes must turn down offers of admission,
because they cannot afford to pay out-of-state tuition
rates.
Current federal law discourages states from providing
in-state tuition rates to undocumented students.
The Student Adjustment Act (HR 1918) and its Senate
companion bill, the Development, Relief, and Education
Relief for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act S 1291),
represents a federal response to this situation.
With immigration policy already controversial and
international tensions particularly high after the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the idea of extending
a new benefit to undocumented immigrants has sparked
a contentious debate . Nevertheless, at the state
level many advocates have come out in zealous support
of the concept. States such as California, New York,
Texas and Utah have already passed legislation that
will allow undocumented students who fulfill certain
residency and graduation requirements, to receive
in-state tuition (see: www.nilc.org). In addition,
despite opposition and in the face of strong anti-immigrant
sentiment, community organizers and legal advocates
throughout the country continue to be dedicated
to achieving equal educational opportunities for
undocumented immigrants. These include strong, committed
and progressive communities such as the Haitian-American
community and organizations such as:
- Padres Unidos, Denver, CO
- Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
- Generation Y, Chicago, IL
- Latinos Unidos Siempre, Salem, OR
- Korean Resource Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Mexican American Student Alliance, New York,
NY
- La Voz Latina, Rockford, IL
- People Acting for Community Together, Miami,
FL
- Southwest Organizing Project, Albuquerque NM
- Direct Action for Rights and Equality Providence,
RI
- Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations,
Springfield, VA
- United Students Against Sweatshops, Washington,
DC
- Maryland Latino Coalition for Justice
- National Association of Korean-American Service
for Education Council, New York, NY /li>
- CASA de Maryland, Takoma Park, MD
- National Immigration Law Center, Washington,
DC
Advocates are facing strong opposition from opponents
who claim that changing the law will give more incentives
for undocumented immigrants to come to the United
States and that will reward those who have entered
this country without papers. Recently, the Governor
of Maryland vetoed a bill that would have allowed
undocumented residents to pay the in-state tuition
rate. By comparison, in late April Virginiaâs Governor
vetoed a bill that was supported by the stateâs Attorney
General, which would have made obtaining in-state
tuition rates for undocumented students nearly impossible.
As of April, 2003 only two states ö Virginia and Arkansas
ö had introduced bills to restrict access to higher
education, while 18 states had or will introduce bills
to provide in-state tuition to certain undocumented
students.
For more information regarding this issue and organizing
efforts around it, visit these websites or reach out
to organizers in your area:
NATIONAL IMMIGRATION
LAW CENTER
http://www.nilc.org/immlawpolicy/DREAM/DREAM_Summary.pdf
NPA: NATIONAL PEOPLEâS ACTION
http://www.npa-us.org/issues/immigration/fact-sheet-on-student-adjustment-act.htm
COSA: COALITION OF STUDENT ADVOCATES
http://www.cosaonline.org/studentadjustmentact.html
MALDEF: MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL
FUND
http://www.maldef.org/news/press.cfm?ID=127
CONGRESSMAN CHRIS CANNON
http://www.house.gov/cannon/press2001/jun07.htm
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