Wednesday, September 26, 2007

DREAM ACT Update 9 26 07

It is 7:38 Eastern time. Harry Reid just spoke about the DREAM ACT. He praised Senator Durbin and the DREAM ACT itself. He said they weren't going to pass it "this time" - but that it would be passed by mid-November.

He minimized the military option. If there were some type of guarrantee that DREAM ACT students would not be coerced into the military (especially while Iraq is still going on) then the bill would be great. Is there a way to be sure that the college option won't be taken away - Its absolutely necessary for the students to have the in-state tuition option while they are waiting to regularize. Otherwise it's almost impossible to pay the high tuition.

In Texas, DREAM ACT students are in crisis because the financial aide that they were getting from the state has not materialized this school year. There were extensive delays last year, and I thought maybe it was due to some internal administrative problem. However, this time, its across the board. Students from community colleges and state universities are experiencing the same problem- there seems be opposition growing regarding Texas grants based upon need. Many people are complaining that U.S. citizens should be given the grants first, even if they are in a better economic situation. In other words, if the students become ineligible because of their residency status, the grants would no longer be based on financial need, since the DREAM ACT students would not be eligible.

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