DREAM Act Part 2 Passes Senate In California

The second part of what is known as the California DREAM Act passed the state senate yesterday, giving undocumented students access to public financial aid. Now the legislation goes back to the assembly, which already approved it, and then on to Governor Jerry Brown, who previously signed related legislation last month to allow undocumented students to receive privately funded financial aid in California.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

…the measure would allow undocumented students who qualify for reduced in-state tuition to apply for Cal Grants, community college waivers and other public aid programs. To be eligible, they must be California high school graduates who attended schools in the state at least three years, and demonstrate financial need and academic merit.

Maryland and Illinois are other states that have introduced similar legislation, at least laws aimed specifically at DREAMers, and a recent Obama Administration announcement that undocumented students would no longer be targeted for deportation means that more of these students will be in state educational institutions.

In California it is unknown what the exact number of students who would benefit from this would be, but the California legislature estimated the cost of the law at $40 million.