Thursday, April 23, 2009

College Board Report: 350,000 Undocumented Students Would Benefit From DREAM Act

College Board Report: 350,000 Undocumented Students Would Benefit From DREAM Act: The nonprofit College Board announced Tuesday its support of the DREAM Act, while unveiling a report that said the plan to legalize undocumented college students could benefit 350,000 students today.

The report’s author, Dr. Roberto Gonzales, an assistant professor of the University of Washington, Seattle, School of Social Work, called the barriers that undocumented students face “probably the most important civil rights issue of our time.”

About 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high schools each year, said the report: “Young Lives On Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students.”

Under a 1982 Supreme Court decision, undocumented students can legally attend K-12 public schools. In most states, they can attend college. But other obstacles make that choice difficult. Most states require them to pay out-of-state tuition rates. They don’t qualify for federal financial aid. They can’t legally work to pay for college.