Illegal immigrants will be able to apply for state money to attend American universities in California thanks to a new law signed by California Governor Jerry Brown. Under the terms of the law, illegal immigrants who have attended school in California will be eligible to apply for Cal-Grant aid to continue their educations. Last year Cal-Grant aid helped over 350,000 students.
The state expects that the new law will add 2,500 students to the pool of eligible applications for Cal-Grants, this addition amounts to 1% of all available aid in the $1.4 billion program. The law overturns a veto of the same bill by former Governor Schwarzenegger.
The passage of this bill in California is a significant move as a similar bill is being considered at the federal level. Under the federal bill, high school students would be eligible for discounted in-state tuition rates and limited student visas to attend college. Tens of thousands of students in the United States have been brought into the country illegally by their parents and are currently attending school in the K-12 grades.
“Going to college is a dream that promises intellectual excitement and creative thinking. The Dream Act benefits us all by giving top students a chance to improve their lives and the lives of all of us,” Brown said.
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