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The California Dream Act went into effect New Year’s Day, opening up new scholarship and financial aid possibilities for undocumented students across the state.
Now students who were brought to the country illegally can apply for financial aid from the state's universities and colleges.
One undocumented college graduate spoke to NBC4, saying she struggled because she couldn't receive the kinds of benefits that younger students in similar situtations are now free to pursue.
The 23-year-old former student didn't share her first name, because her undocumented status is not something she shares publicly. Her mother brought her to the United States at the age of 6.
"I graduated with a bachelors of science in Human Services, and I want to get my masters in counseling to be a high school counselor someday," L. Lopez said.
Read more on NBCLosAngeles.com
Lopez attended Cal State Fullerton. Her biggest struggle, she said, was how to pay for tuition. Until 2013, loans and grants were not available to students like Lopez, who does not have a social security number.
"I actually got a call when I was in high school, before I graduated, from a scholarship, telling me that I was overqualified for the scholarship," Lopez said. "I couldn't get it because I don't have those nine digits."
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The California Dream Act has opened the door to high school graduates who have the grades to get into the Cal State or University of California system. It’s estimated 20,000 students across the state could apply.
The legislation does not provide a blank check, according to attorney Scott Hughes, but a chance to help children who were illegally brought into this country when they were 15 years old or younger.
"There's strict GPA requirements. There's strict residency requirements, and people can't have criminal records," Hughes said. "The people who are going to benefit from this are good people who deserve it."
For more information, go to the University of California's page about the state's Dream Act.
Leave a Comment:
Perhaps you American Citizens and Legal Immigrants to the USA should put status as "Undocumented Alien" on your next College Financial Aid Package. This way the Politically Correct Revisionists History Taxaholics and Spendaholics at the expense of the US Taxpayer can "pay" for your "education". What an education to learn from the Political Correct Crowd, come to the US Illegally, get College Financial Aid. However, if you come to the USA LEGALLY, you got to wait your turn (years in some cases) and pay hefty fees to USGIS just for doing everything the Legal and Honest way.
California. A dream if you're illegal. A nightmare if you're a taxpayer.
Denver Bill - You've got that right!
Hear! Hear!
Why are you Calif. people allowing it to happen.. Dont you vote????? How many of you voted for Obama and Jerry Brown? Pay for it now.. You are letting them in , so live with it... Tell your kids that they are now second class citizens...
yea we vote, however this state is turning into a cess-pool, the liberals wont be satisfied until California is given back to Mexico, because there sorry !
I wish I could find a job out of state and follow the 100k's that have left already. FREE SERVICES FOR ALL MINORITIES and tax the working whites until we move and let them have it back. California will be an extension on Tijuana ! free donkey shows for everyone !
Hey I am a white woman but was once a white girl- wanted to get a loan to complete my nursing education. was told I wan't minority enough. Can I tell you haow many years it took to pay off loans- you don't care- NBC it is alway the balcka dn hispannics that count isn't it?
Well I go my degree, but not without a lot uf debt that my f husband supported because he knew it was for me. but sacrificed a lot int hr process that our kids could have needed.
Gratefully they did not resent that and insisted on paying their own way, Love them for that but felt very bad that I could not help them becaus of my debt.
Americans don't count anymore even when we work, pay taxes and do community support- it is always these illegal minorities who seem to figure a way to got it all free.
Angry nurse who will never ever learn Spanish to help these people!
TVTVwhatTV: Gathering from your multiple spelling errors, you were not given a loan because you were "wan't minority enough" but because you didn't the intellectual capacity to qualify or the compassion to be a professional healthcare worker.
Bill Crane..You should see Java Script or other computer programing languages.
I am a Certified Ethical Hacker and it is so easy to get into websites, school, and government computers.I found some webcams setup in women's washrooms in the university of southern california. There is a program called "you talk,it types" that can show translations of over 100 languages.
They pay me to test their Computer and Network Security, and I love my job.
win 7 and 8 and server 08 and 12 have so many holes..it's like mac scan in your phone
Some states, CA may be one, illegals pay instate tuition and Ameican citizens from other states pay much higher out-of-state tuition. In these same states, illegals pay instate tuition and military personnel who happen to be stationed in those states must pay much higher out-of-state tuition. Again, Political Correctness wins and America loses.
TVTVwhatTV - I don't know why you are lumping black people in with Latinos. We are Americans same as you or didn't you notice we are being screwed over as well. I am absolutely against illegals getting a dime of my hard earned tax money and don't agree with the DREAM Act. Maybe, just maybe, if white America wouldn't have been so scared of the massive 13 percent black population of the U.S. getting a full 13% of the pie, they wouldn't have passed so many laws which gave so much of the country to Mexico.
Universities have to keep the demand up to maintain the back breaking tuition.
College education is Academic at best. :-)
I wonder if I could get rid of my social security number since I doubt I will ever receive any social security. Amazing these people break the law get free education pay zero taxes and get all the benefits.
Am I dreaming?
I didn't know California had money for any kids, let alone kids from Mexico.
Does Mexico not have schools? Go back there and study then apply to immigrate here legally, with useable job skills.
Yes they have How to sell drugs 101.
How to shoot .45
How to have baby's in America and get aid (free).
K1-K2
Yes Mexico does have excellent schools. Their public universities are for Mexican Citizens ONLY, NO U.S. Citizens Allowed!! U.S. citizens are allowed to attend their private universities, but you better have your visas in order or you get deported. U.S. citizens are not allowed in ANY of Mexico's public schools, elementary nor secondary. Seems to me the U.S. should have the same rules/laws.
I think Mexico should give us 10 billion a year in free oil to make up for taking care of it's citizens.
There trying to give us drugs but we won't legalize it, we keep trying to legalize the carriers.
So why is America so stupid to vote this idiot into the White House again??? Why have we let Mexicans come here in huge numbers and allowed our states and govenors get away with it.. I say get all the guns in the states and put them at the border.. shoot 50-60 and they will stop coming.
Yeah, it's everybody else that's stupid...not the tea party nativists and other primitives posting their bigotry above...or the haters that would collapse laughingman below.
I am neither Dem or Rep.. I am independent and i had to work hard to go to school and buy a house and raise a family. The Tea Party is too far right. Obama is a socialist/ Dreamer.. He thinks the poor should be given free everything to give them a leg up, well they sit on their butts and take the money and dont try to do better. I live in a town that is 76% black. I see food stamps on every other person, along with their NIKE shoes and Gucci purses.. Sorry culheath, you are wrong. You need to open your eyes. I dont mind giving to those in need, i do that alot all year long but when you see people getting disability and food stamps and free heatlhcare while you are paying for it, it make me ill. There is a man who goes to my Y that is disabled.. He laughs about it. He gets to go work out 2 hrs. a day and collect a check. You need to grow up and look at the world without your hater glasses.
Twoann: First off, Obama has nothing to do with the CA DREAM act. Second, people like John McCain and Marco Rubio have also called for a DREAM Act.
Twoann,
People voted for Obama because he was the best man running not because they were stupid. If the Republican party had really wanted change they would have had elected better candidates. Romney really was their best choice, what does that tell you? I knew that when Obama was reelected that some of the changes that he would make (like any concessions such as any kind of dream act) I would hate. But still, choices had to be made and plenty of bright people voted for Obama.
T. Neville: None of your references can be checked. Are you sure you just didn't make it all up? They sound so authentic - but don't pass the authentication test. What's up?
Bill crane, they keep changing the URLs for databases.
Try this
dhfs.wisconsin.gov/medicaid1/recpubs/erp/phc13032.htm
It's The Medicaid Estate Recovery Program .
It might be changed by now but your state has this same law written by Dianne feinstein and Joe Biden and passed into law by Bill Clinton (the impeached one) 1996.
Look for it in your state's department of health and family services.
Sam, there's a difference between a Dream Act and those calling for immigration reform. Come up with a program to get these people (not just the kids) on a path to citizenship, teach them English, let them pay taxes. Just stop handing out all this money with no responsibility on their end. And if they don't want to play by those rules, then send them back. It's completely out of control.
This is a joke...we have legal law abiding people here and they can't get aid!! She obviously is smart since she graduated college...guess not too smart since she hasn't become legal yet....tired of all these undocumented illegals and DREAMERS taking what is needed by US Citizens~!
You know why some legal law abiding people can't get aid? BECAUSE THEY DON'T QUALIFY. They don't have the GPA, they don't apply in time for the deadline, they have a criminal record, etc. there are many reasons.
The illegals who are benefiting from the Dream Act are the ones who are going to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. You know, the ones who WANT to become legal, not the ones who are on the streets selling drugs and making the place worse. These kids deserve a chance, since they had no choice when their parents brought them here.
Please put yourself in their shoes, realize that we are all human, and that you are not better than them because you obviously chose to be born here.
The State is bankrupt and is not taking care of their own. The people who don't qualify are white people. I am born from people who have been in the United States since it was established. My husband whose parent is an immigrant has had more access to funds, education and employment then I ever had. He laughs and says to list our kids as his race so that they can have better access to colleges and financial aid.
I think the illegal kids should get their social security number so they can pay taxes and contribute taxes towards the money they feel they deserve for college. And then compete by GPA and not race for college acceptance and aid. They haven't paid into our government and yet feel they deserve funds.
My Grandpa (adopted my mom) immigrated legally from Mexico. He had nothing when he got to America and he worked very hard, learned English and became American. I really respect him.
laughingman-3486814 -
The illegals will be counted as minorities. The more minorities who are filling those slots, the more additional grants and other perks from federal sources.
Somewhere, there is a federal mandate instructing these institutions on the amount of money to be used for these illegals. Somewhere, there are attorneys salivating at the thought of their chance to sue a college for not giving an illegal their share of the goodies.
And everywhere, there are college age citizens of the US who are being screwed.
They can't LEGALLY become a doctor if they are ILLEGALLY here. I don't care how bad they want it. I want them to pay taxes just like the rest of us do. Why should we foot the bill for them, pay our taxes and let them have free money. My best friend can't get financial aid for her college classes because her parents (who barely make much at all) make too much all the while illegal undocumented kids get to go to college and have us pay for it? No way. I'm with mimi on this one
Mindie,
Yeah, because the Dream Act is supposed to ultimately allow these illegals to BECOME legal. Thus, ALLOW them to actually use their education.
Also, there are thousands of scholarships that DON'T require financial need, just get out and apply apply apply.
My daughter applied, with a GPA of 4.7 and graduating 3rd in her class. Didn't do a bit of good. She got accepted directly to a med college, but with my and my husbands income(two workers) she couldn't get any help. I'm sorry, but I see illegals getting paid in cash (no taxes) have great cars and homes, but collect WIC, food stamps, and welfare (no traceable income). My daughter did not want $150k in student loans so gave up after her BA. College is out of the reach of most students if the parents work and the government gives the benefits to illegals.
This is not the Dream Act it's the Voting Act of 2012.
Hey - this is America 2013.
If you are an employed, tax-paying citizen, but not rich, shut up and pay for someone else's benefits. What is wrong with you selfish people?
Oh, and your state has a $10 BILLION deficit? Open up that wallet, folks.
BOHICA!
These people are NEVER going to be part of the medical field. YOU MUST BE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN OR LEGAL RESIDENT to become a Doctor or Nurse to even become a candidate in a school for training to become a Doctor or Nurse. And yes, I know that for a fact, I am a nurse...
momlags, why don't you do what Romney suggested when posed with a similar question during one of the primary debates? Lend your daughter the money, take out a second mortgage? That was his response.
Angela -
Obama has four more years in the White House. Before he leaves, he will pass an Executive Order making all those illegals citizens through amnesty.
That is where this is heading. Otherwise there is no point to allowing them the opportunity for college. Amnesty. That is where it is heading. That is the big plank in the Democratic platform for the next election cycle.
They are going to keep pushing the illegals at the citizens of this country until there is bloodshed in the streets. The stupidity of the Washington legislators has already been demonstrated; the lengths of that stupidity is the only question now.
Obama has given the black and hispanic communitites more rights and money than all other ethnic backgrounds.. All the rest of us should ban together and put a stop to it.. Why was Obama voted in again.. I still say he wasnt.. It was a lie. But, blacks voted for color instead of brains, and they want free for their kids.. Obama has divided our country and if the rest of us dont fight back we will be in the mud. Our country is not our anymore. SOCIALISM.. Hussein Hitler Obama.
Screm: I find it funny when people have posts like yours because it's like you've all forgotten your history, and recent history at that. Gee, I'm having a hard time remembering...who was the last person to pass an amnesty...? OH! That's right, Republican icon Ronald Reagan....
You've got to be a troll...nobody is that ridiculously inane.
If both of your grand parents, parents and you, were born in the usa, you are Native American.
this is amazing. Only in America will we give criminals a free education and not help our own children. Yes, they are CRIMINALS!
This is a whole lot of bull crap! Why in the heII should I have to pay to support and educate these ILLEGAL ALIENS, who by the way are not supposed to be here in the first place and who are breaking the law? WAKE UP AMERICA AND LET US PUT A STOP TO THIS INSANE MADNESS AND WASTEFUL SPENDING!
Another Feinstein Traitorous act.
This is sad and especially in a State that has more people on welfare than are working.Seems like someones plan is coming together for the Socialist Republic of Kalifornia.
We support Nobama and he's an illegal alien according to what I have seen and BELEIVE.
Hell,we support his mother in law who also lives in the white house on our nickle,bet ya didn't know that did ya?.
I even wonder anymore if the voting process is done above board as it sure seems like a scam to me.
True, there are documents showing Obama's OWN mother changed the then young Obama's citizenship from American to Indonesian with Obama's new name as Barry Soetoro. However, there are no records nor information that Barack Obama’s mom ever “changed him back” to an American after making him an Indonesian as a child! Of course, Barry Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama II also never bothered to changed his citizenship back to an American. We "Officially" have an Illegal Alien Occupying the Oval Office, our first Indonesian Citizen "President". I am sure our Consitutional Founding Fathers are Proud of such a "Manchurian Candidate" occupying the Oval Office.
In Hawaii all a person needs is 5 people to sign a statement that you were there for 5 years and a "Certification of Live Birth" only costs $35.00
look it up.
Obama*s social security number is for a person who has been dead for 50 years.
California is BROKE, They have more debt than ANY other state in the union, how are they going to pay for this? yes it is sad the parents put them in this position but that should not be our problem it should be the parents, I have paid taxes all my life, in the future MY tax money will have to bail out California because they chose to do things like this. and no one will be held accountable, I repeat just like I was held accountable for not going to college and not being able to easily afford college for my kids they should be accountable for the decisions they make.
Pure and simple, this is the Obamerica on steroids. Entitlement is the path to self destruction. Just look to our inner cities after 50 years of Democratic Party Programs. Once proud hard working families now an enslavement of broken families, crime and poverty dependency.
This is BS! While I do understand that kids who are brought to the US illegally didn't have a choice...when they were kids...but now that they are adults, there is no excuse as to why they cannot become legal residents or US citizens, get a social security card (LEGALLY), get a job and contribute to society to the like the rest of us do. If you want free hand-outs, go back to the country you came from. Our government cannot even afford to take care of its own people! Free scholarships based on a person's "undocumented status" in OUR country are cr*p!
Okay....so you suggest what? I'm not sure how you can say that it's okay when they were kids since they didn't have a choice but then that they should then leave once they do have a choice. You're suggestion is that these people who grew up in this country, a lot of whom either do not speak spanish, know any of their family in Mexico, or have probably never even been to Mexico just up and go to Mexico? Because that's the only way for them to become legal.
california may be giving out the moneys but they also receive federal money so indirectly we are all paying for these fruitloops out there. How about paying for my sons education. He gets great grades but i have worked for 40 years since highschool and make pennies more than aid allows.
lebster,I am a native Californian and most of the Californians that I know are very unhappy about this dream act.Once these students sign up ICE may be able to get their parents addresses and deport them and their kids who were brought her illegally.Our state is even going to grant them the right to apply for drivers licenses.We are a state led by a majority of Democrats and until that tide turns we'll probably be seeing more of these type of acts that we will be footing the bill for.
Cleaning lady -
Don't hold your breath on that ICE action. The White House will make sure that doesn't happen - will sue any state that tries.
Cleaning Lady, What I want to know is, "who the hell voted BACK in office that dunderhead Jerry Brown"? Because HE is the worst thing to happen to us since the recession began. I know tons of Democrats and Republicans and have, so far, not found one who'd admit to voting this abortion back into office. Far too many remember his last disastrous time at our helm...
Jeez, he's making me wish Arnie was back in office and he was terrible too!
If the idiots in Sacramento even think about making me pay for this folly, I'm outta here. I don't have to live in this state...just like most the people who have money, education have already done.
Jerry Brown and his cronies aren't interested in actually doing good things for California. He and his friends are only interested in staying in power. The California Dream Act ensures that he has the Hispanic vote locked up. After years and years of legal (and illegal) immigration, the Hispanic vote is quite significant here. Just ask Meg, who lost the election when her Hispanic housekeeper came out just prior to the election and claimed that Meg was abusive to the hired help. Before that announcement, Meg was significantly ahead in the polls.
With so many needs this state has, passing the CA Dream Act should be considered felonious. Idiot Dem Party, keep everyone addicted to the entitlement titty and no one will vote otherwise--not until the country totally collapses under the financial strain.
The California government is no better than organized crime.
Please tell me you are joking. I don't qualify for aid because these morons are taking it all. I have a 3.3 GPA, applied well before the PRIORITY deadline, have nothing on my criminal record... etc. I am a hard working, upstanding citizen and can't receive squat to help pay for my college education to become a doctor. And let me tell you something else. WANTING to become legal and actually doing it are two very different things, and these moochers aren't taking the step to actually become legal citizens of the country that they're ripping off. My "Dream Act" would entail getting these illegals out of the country and keeping them out so that LEGAL citizens have a shot at benefits that WE are paying for. The "American Dream" is for Americans first and foremost.
You can't receive ANY aid because there are illegals taking it ALL? Better write to your congressman because if that's the case then I LOL.
laugher -
As long as one citizen is losing out to illegals, it is a travesty. Laugh at that.
Who would laugh at that? Only someone who has the country's worst interests at heart . . .
mjw2012: Sorry about your lack of funding. But your lack of compassion ("morons, moochers") indicates that you should not be in the health care field at any level, least of all a physician.
I have compassion towards the hard working Americans that are getting their money taken by people who aren't even supposed to be here. You can't tell me free education, food, healthcare, etc. is not mooching when they have done nothing to earn it. We have people starving and barely scraping by just like any other country, we need to take care of our own before we try and fix everyone else's problems. And we can't help our people with these funds if all of the money is going towards illegals.
Wow , Last I read CA was on the verge of bankruptcy ,, had a huge deficit,, I guess not,, If only I was a mexican in CA I could get free tuition , free books,free meals, free transportation,, free medical care,, free clothes,, free dorm room, get paid to have more kids,, and best of all,, I dont ever have to pay it back,, god cursed me , I was born white.
You got that right. Now try going to their country and see what you get; killed by drug cartels!!!
I was born in that crap hole. Us white guys can't get hired either. Even the private sector - with all the Hispanic owned business won't hire you.
I found work in 1994 in Colorado and this State is hell-bent on becoming California. I find it amazing. Simply you could lead a State to prosperity by NOT doing what California does.
Effen puke cali libtard mother effers better not come to the rest of us asking for a GD bailout over their fiscal woes! You mother effers should all just drop into the GD pacific ocean!
What the eff is wrong with you people? Where do you think you have the money to do this?
I effen hate you libtard pukes and hope you all burn in hell for destroying this great nation!
Wow, Destoyer, you sound pretty amgry.
The Feds will bail them out. Wait - maybe you have every right to be pissed off . . .
Libtarddestoyer: I think your concept of a "great nation" was destroyed when Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
Am I reading this article right? Is this unamed woman, (can't even give her FIRST name?) complaining that all the younger illegals have it better than she did? OMG this is California at it's finest.
It is a hoot, isn't it?
Is the toilet plugged over at FOX or something?
WHAT'S THE USE IN HAVING IMMIGRATION LAWS?!!!!! Why not just open the borders and invite them all in so us hard-working taxpayers can support them when we can barely support our families!!!!!
Immigration laws have been dormant for the last 12 years.
Ok,so now we're going to PAY to educate illegals so they can take jobs away from Americans? God,I hope California falls into the ocean SOON...
d.pittman,Don't say that.My family and I are third generation Californians.We are against the Dream Act and the illegals getting all the perks for their anchor babies.What California should have done when we were flush with money was offer to buy Baja California from Mexico.
More MSNBC speak. "Undocumented" actually means Illegal.
"Gun Violence" Actually means gun control.
California is broke beyond all comprehension. I say put the fence up and include California.
Ah, if we could only limit the invasion to California . . .
Anyone know what the California budget deficit amounts to?
16 Billion last I heard. But that was in March or so.
According to the non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office, it is $1.9 Billion, down from $13 Billion a year ago. Projections are optimistic and expect a surplus by 2015 of perhaps a Billion or so (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-03/california-democrats-statehouse-powers-tempt-lawmakers.html.)
Gov. Jerry Brown, in spite of myth, has always been consicentiously conservative about the budget (remember, "Lower your expectations" from his first term in office?) and spending.
It's nice of California to help illegal immigrants continue breaking the law with impunity. It would be even nicer if California provided similar financial assistance to its legions of law-abiding homeless and unemployed citizens.
CA will be broke and asking the rest of the country to kick in some cash for their poor choices. Bad enough that these illegals have had a free education for 12 years, now they will compete for scholarships against students that belong here.
Yep. But we will be labled racist for recognizing the insanity of this.
Let's all thank Mother Pelosi, and Daddy Obama for the Voting Act of 2012! Lets all give that big chant! CAN I HAVE SOME MORE PLEASE!!!
Evil comes in many guises.
You SHOULD be thanking all those "Americans" that voted that racist in the White House back in as President. You didn't learn from the first 4 years so you think another 4 will help... talk about a stupid idea.
Deffinition of insanity: Doing the same thing, over and over, and expecting different results.
A vote for obama was a vote for insanity...
Obama will make sure Cally is taken care of. Lot's of votes there and one can never be too careful even if they have voted stupid for years.