A dream is a “strongly desired goal or purpose,” according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.
As a student, I have many dreams; one is being able to transfer to a four-year college.
However, this dream will never be possible without some type of scholarship or Cal Grant.
I, like many other college students, do not have the means to pay for two more years of tuition without some sort of financial assistance.
Even with scholarships most students end up having to take some kind of loan and pay it back. I could be up to my eyeballs in student loans.
Gov. Jerry Brown does not seem to care about this fact. If he did, he would have never passed the Dream Act, or as I like to call it “my nightmare.”
There are many high-achieving students here on the San Joaquin Delta College campus that would benefit from this bill; that number pales in comparison to all of the people it would hurt. I’m talking the entire U.S. population that will have to bear the burden of another $13 million.
According to the California Student Aid Commission, this “dream” gives approximately 5,462 illegal immigrants access to scholarships and Cal Grants meant only for in-state, legal, tax-paying residents.
The fact that illegal immigrants have access to Cal Grants only after they have been doled out among California residents makes no difference.
They are still taking funds that could be used for the next batch of California residents or that could be put back into the economy.
The only thing worse than having to compete with another six thousand for a way to fund my education, as a citizen no less, is the fact that this bill is costing taxpayers like myself more than $13 million.
For a student hoping to attend a University of California school, that could amount to another $4-5 million per year the economy would be in debt.
No wonder the economy is $54+ trillion in debt as it is when lawmakers are coming up with such ridiculous ways to spend our money.
Here’s a thought: If lawmakers wanted this bill so bad why didn’t they take a pay cut, or better yet foot the bill themselves?
I’ve never been one to look for a handout. I never will be.
As a citizen of this country I believe I should be entitled to the funds allocated for my education, and no one, especially someone here illegally, should have a right to take that from me.
I’m not saying these immigrants do not have a right to an education, but the fact remains that they will be using money that is supposed to go to legal residents.
They need to find some other means to fund their education.
With another 6,000 students being added to the mix many of California’s students are going to be left behind.
I know many of the immigrants that are in the U.S., more specifically California, were brought here as babies by their parents. They didn’t have a say in the matter.
The fact remains that the majority of them are here illegally. According to the Washington Post there were 850,000 illegal immigrants in the U.S. as of Sept. 2010.
California may be home to them because that’s all they’ve ever known, but shouldn’t the resources our state provides be specifically for legal residents?
It’s not fair that we have to compete for funds and resources the law mandates are specifically meant for us in the first place.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed this bill three times. Three.
Schwarzenegger is an immigrant, but he became a legal citizen, so he understands both sides of the argument and the effect the bill would have better than anyone.
Obviously he saw there was something wrong with it to begin with.
Teachers everywhere are being laid off from lack of funds, yet somehow money was found to fund this bill. I’m insulted and quite frankly embarrassed.
The fact that government is putting the needs of illegal immigrants before the men and women that educate the young citizens of America, the future of this country, is a disgrace.
President Barack Obama, who swore for “change” and a better economy, pressed for this bill until it passed. The only thing Obama changed is the fact the U.S. is another $13 million in the hole.
We might as well start digging our graves and dropping out of college now because there is no way we are coming back from this.
Brace yourselves because it’s only going to get worse.