The Legislation

Each year, 65,000 talented youth graduate from American high schools to confront their illegal status. To them, college education is economically inaccessible and many of their challenges consist of inability to afford an education, find internships, and foster their academic potential. These circumstances are discouraging, and consequently 46,000-52,000 undocumented students drop out of high school because they don’t see where their future is going. However, the DREAM Act can mitigate this frustration by the favorable results it produces.

The DREAM Act rewards good character because the beneficiaries speak of America as their home, pay their taxes, and have had good moral conduct, which is tested through a criminal background check. If an undocumented student meets all the requirements: must be between ages 12-35, having arrived the United States before age 16, resided within the States for at least 5 consecutive years, and has obtained a high school diploma or its equivalence, they would be granted a 6 year amnesty period. In that period beneficiaries are to complete an associates or bachelors degree, or they can choose to serve a 2-year military term . More importantly, allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition would amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Thus, beneficiaries will qualify for low-interest student loans and federal work-study, which pay higher wages, making higher education affordable. Furthermore, many promising undocumented students will have more time to study since they will not have to work as many hours and will be able to drive with their conditional residency, saving them the commuting time. These circumstances are more favorable, reinforcing the idea that education is the key to future generations and for our nation’s success.