University of California Students Active in Urging Schwarzenegger to Sign California Dream Act

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Aprille Espinueva

Students are eagerly awaiting the next step in making a dream a reality.

The California Dream Act, SB1, was recently passed in the state legislature and now awaits Governor Schwarzenegger’s approval. The bill allows undocumented immigrant students from California high schools to receive financial aid in college, including community college fee waivers and the Cal Grant.

The bill, authored by Senator Gilbert Cedillo, acts as a supplement to AB 540, which passed in 2001. AB 540 qualifies all students for in-state tuition at California state universities provided that they attend California high school for three years, graduate or obtain a GED, and sign an affidavit stating that the student will apply for legal residency as soon as he/she is eligible to do so.

Support for the California Dream Act hasn’t been easy to attain, however. Last year, the bill was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger, who raised concerns about taking away financial aid from other students (document students and US citizens). The new bill has been amended to address Governor Schwarzenegger’s concerns and focuses on eligibility for noncompetitive grants, which excludes the competitive Cal Grant program. According to an article in the Daily Californian, noncompetitive grants make up one percent of student aid by the state.

The passing of the bill was largely due to the efforts of the University of California Student Association (UCSA) and its many partners. UCSA is the official voice of over 200,000 UC students to the governor, state legislature and Regents. Their mission is to empower students to advocate on their own behalf for the accessibility, affordability and quality of the University of California system through legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing. Last year alone, UCSA registered 21,000 students statewide to vote and continues to work on the issue year-round.

For the organization, its continuous lobbying efforts have proven to be a success.