The DREAM Act: Myth v. Reality

 First introduced in 2001  Introduced several times throughout the past decade: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010  Most recently re-introduced May 2011

 DREAM History  DREAM Provisions  DREAM: Myth v. Reality  Future of DREAM??

 Conditional non-immigrant status if:  Under 29 years of age  Arrived in U.S. at age 15 or younger  Have been in U.S. for at least 5 years

 Conditional non-immigrant status if:  Graduated from American HS or obtained GED  “Good moral character” as defined by DHS  Registers for Selective Service  Underwent security and law-enforcement checks

 EXCLUDES non-immigrant status if:  Committed one felony or three misdemeanors  Engaged in voter fraud or unlawful voting  Committed marriage fraud  Abused a student visa

 Conditional Permanent Residency:  At 6 year period must prove:  Acquired college degree or two years in a program for a bachelor’s degree  Served at least 2 years in the armed forces or have honorable discharge

 Myth #1: Grants Automatic Citizenship to Illegal Immigrants  Myth #2: This is a Disguised Amnesty Program  Myth #3: Gives Scarce Aid Dollars to Non- Citizens  Myth #4: Costs Taxpayer’s Money  Myth #5: Creates Magnet Effect  Myth #6: Partisan Issue

Myth #1: Grants Automatic Citizenship Fact #1: Students go through conditional nonimmigrant status AND conditional permanent residency status (NOT automatic citizenship)

Slide 11 © NASFAA 2011 Myth #2: Disguised Amnesty Program Fact #2: Students themselves have committed no crime. And, DREAM does not simply grant automatic citizenship.

Slide 12 © NASFAA 2011 Myth #3: Gives our Scarce Aid Dollars to Non-citizens Fact #3: DREAM students are only eligible for loans and FWS

Slide 13 © NASFAA 2011 Myth #4: DREAM Costs Taypayers Money Fact #4: DREAM students would generate over $1 trillion in income over a 40-year period and the bill would reduce deficits by about $1.4 billion over 10 years.

Slide 14 © NASFAA 2011 Myth #5: Creates a Magnet Effect Fact #5: According to recent research, immigration is actually down across the country.

Slide 15 © NASFAA 2011 Myth #6: DREAM is a Partisan Issue Fact #6: DREAM has traditionally had bipartisan support

Current State Policies Regarding Undocumented Students (May, 2011) Allows in-state tuition for some undocumented students and makes them eligible for state aid New Mexico, Texas, California Allows in-state tuition for some undocumented students but not state financial aid Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin Does not specifically allow in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants but has other tuition policies that result in many undocumented students paying in- state rates Minnesota, Nevada Explicitly prohibits undocumented immigrants from being granted in-state tuition Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Oklahoma Bans admission of undocumented immigrants at some or all public colleges Alabama (banned at public two-year colleges), Georgia (banned at selective public institutions), South Carolina (banned at all publics) Unstipulated policy Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut*, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon*, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming *Currently considering legislation that would allow in-state tuition for undocumented students ^Currently considering legislation that would make undocumented students ineligible for in-state tuition Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (2011); Chronicle of Higher Education (2010, July 25); Russell (2011)

 Admissions: In general, the admissions policies of public institutions are consistent with the policy environment of the states in which they are located  Tuition Policies: The majority of public institutions (86%) in states with inclusive tuition policies reported allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition; erring on the side of more restrictive in unstipulated environments  Financial Aid Policies: Erring on the side of more restrictive in unstipulated environments; 80% of institutions located in states with unstipulated or restrictive policies reported that they do not provide any kind of financial aid for undocumented students; private institutions are more likely than publics to award financial aid to undocumented; 92% of aid is institutional aid

Bring Us One Step Closer to Filling the 20 Million Hole in College Educated Workers

 Original supporter of the DREAM Act  Continued to support throughout the last decade  NASFAA Board recently voted unanimously to not only support the DREAM Act but to support administrative relief for otherwise DREAMers

Future of the DREAM Act