DREAM on…..
Governor Schwarzenegger just vetoed California’s version of the DREAM act, a law which would provide financial aid to “undocumented immigrants” who attend California state universities. Most “immigrant rights” activists are calling his veto a “denial of immigrant’s rights to an education.” Here is the rub, in California “undocumented immigrants” can attend California state universities and pay in state tuition, while those who are “documented” have to pay out of state fees. Furthermore “documented immigrants” are ineligible for financial aid because they are foreign nationals.
I attended San Francisco State in the 80’s and I did not receive financial aid because my parent’s income was above the “threshold for eligibility.” No one denied me an education nor a degree because I was denied financial aid. My parents scrimped and saved to pay my tuition and gave me a very small allowance to live on while I was in school. I managed to graduate without direct taxpayer subsidy in the form of financial aid.
I believe that California’s current policy and the wishes of the “immigrant rights” activists is all wrong. In a sane world all “undocumented immigrants” would be considered foreign nationals which, in fact and de jure, they are. They should be able to attend university but they should have to pay out of state fees and do without financial aid just like their “documented” counterparts. Sorry, but if you are an “undocumented” immigrant, you are a foreign national living in the United States without their express but possibly with their tacit consent. When one is living in a country illegally, one should not press for rights which don’t even exist for those who are citizens or legal residents because one may find that the tacit consent which allows you to stay may just be withdrawn.