By Staff Posted February 15, 2012
Part of immigration that is key in the world today is the people who get into the United States illegally. Should these people have special benefits for being in the great US illegally?
Of course, there are illegal immigrants in this country that are in search of benefits relating to jobs and family. But is it right or fair that illegal immigrants are receiving privately funded scholarships to attend a state’s public colleges and universities?
The California Dream Act is a California state law that states children under the age of 16 without proper documentation can apply for student financial aid benefits, only if they meet the requirements of in-state tuition, and GPA requirements (wikipedia). California has up to $77 Billion in debt; this places them as one of the top states in a debt crisis. For California to pay for people who are not U.S. citizens to go to college, shouldn’t be granted money for college education. If a person is excelling in school and showing he or she could be a hard worker in society; they should get benefits for working hard, but the shape that California is in right now, they should not be spending money on things that are not needed.
This state law can be perceived as good and bad, it just depends on how you feel about illegal immigrants. Most immigrants who come to America are searching for jobs that can help stabilize them and their families as they try to become citizens. Recently Missouri proposed a bill that would require schools to check a student’s immigration background. The bill also states that police can stop any person at any time and check for citizenship documentation, if a person does not have any documentation then it will be filed as a misdemeanor (huffingtonpost.com). This is similar to the bill that was passed in Missouri, and the immigration law in Alabama that was passed on September 28, 2011. When the bill was passed many Hispanic families took their kids out of school and left their work to move to different locations.
The California Dream Act is a good idea overall, but for it to be put into action right now is something that California can’t afford. This is a good way to reward the kids who work really hard and prove that they want to go far in life.
