A study done in April by the College Board shows that due to financial barriers and exclusions from the legal workforce, only a fraction of undocumented high school graduates go on to college.
The research finds that immigration and educational policies should not be a one-size-fits-all entity. The report believes that Congress should pass the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.
The DREAM Act was first introduced in Congress in 2001 and is currently being reintroduced. The act would allow undocumented students who have lived in the U.S. since childhood to apply for legal permanent resident status if they graduate from high school and go on to college or military service. The DREAM Act would offer incentives for 715,000 students 5 through 17 to attend college after high school.
According to the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, 542 presumed undocumented students attended public colleges and universities during the 2007–2008 academic year. In comparison, there were about 430,000 students attending public colleges and universities in the state. ♦
For more information abou the DREAM Act, contact Roberto G. Gonzales at ggonzal@u.washington.edu or 714-721-1049.