The national Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act is a bill that would provide conditional residency to certain undocumented residents of “good moral character,” who completed high school in the United States, arrived in the U.S. as minors and lived in the country for five years preceding the bill’s enactment.
Proponents of the bill have the idea this will create a pathway for a brighter future for the U.S., if undocumented students are legalized. Opponents propose it might encourage other immigrants to enter the country illegally, thus taking away financial aid from legal citizens.
To many, the idea behind the DREAM Act promotes hope for those looking to further pursue their education while waiting for the day they become legalized American citizens.
Matthew Norfleet, president of Eastern Michigan University’s Student Government, presented a privatized version of the DREAM Act to the EMU Foundation Board of Trustees.
The proposal, which is basically a scholarship for those who qualify, has already been offered up in front of EMU’s Board of Regents and the Student Senate; Both times, the plan passed.
Norfleet said the EMU Dream Act looks to “level the playing field for students who were brought to Michigan through no-fault of their own, and who don’t have the actual documentation to validate their citizenship.” Norfleet said the proposal would change the citizenship requirements for EMU’s Office of Admissions.
Some highlights from the EMU Dream Act document states that Michigan allows public universities to determine residency policies for in-state tuition.
The document also gives statistics on how much money undocumented immigrants have paid in sales taxes, property taxes and income taxes.
EMU Board of Regents member Beth Fitzsimmons began her discussion regarding the plan when she said the Dream Act is a “hot topic” and is one that isn’t going away.
“Most college-bound undocumented students have lived in the United States most of their lives.” Fitzsimmons said. “They were brought to the United States, by their parents, at a young age, have learned English and think of themselves as Americans.”
Fitzsimmons said undocumented students lack a way to become legal residents or citizens of the U.S. She said there are approximately 65,000 students who graduate high school each year in America who are undocumented.
“The primary obstacle for a college-bound student is financial,” Fitzsimmons said.
She also said undocumented students cannot qualify for federal or state-based financial aid, including grants, work study jobs and loan programs.
Under federal law, it is illegal to offer undocumented students in-state tuition at a public university or college, but roughly a dozen states have passed laws permitting them to pay in-state tuition.
Fitzsimmons said undocumented students currently can attend EMU, but must pay out-of-state tuition. She also said that if the EMU Dream Act is passed, then it would be considered a pilot program for a year to see how things go.
Conversation ensued after Fitzsimmons spoke, with many in the audience raising topics stemming from the possible disenfranchising of other students and the cost of the program.
Another issue of concern was whether or not the EMU Dream Act will violate federal law.
“We’re not circumventing federal law,” Ronald Reed, chair of the foundation’s board, said. “I will make that very clear.”
Reed said the state and EMU president Susan Martin cannot lower tuition rates for undocumented students. He said those who feel passionately about the cause and choose to give their money to the EMU Dream Act can do so.
“We agree that there are many people out there who have money, have resources and would like to support this particular cause,” he said.
Reed also said the board would not support anything that would breach federal law.
It was also noted that Michigan doesn’t have a shortage of needy children who are legal citizens, and some questioned whether or not the college would be showing a bias against its legal students.
Members of the audience wanted to know whether or not a legal student would be excluded from obtaining help, while the illegal student would acquire benefits.
Some were uncomfortable with awarding an undocumented student with a 2.0 GPA funds from the EMU Dream Act scholarship. Others suggested donors would have a hard time wanting to give money to students with such low averages.
“If I’m a donor, I’m not going to get too excited about giving to someone who only maintains a 2.0 [GPA],” Walter Kraft, EMU’s vice president of communications, said.
Kraft said the proponents of the plan should raise the GPA bar and that would probably get donors to become active.
Fitzsimmons said it would be privately funded through the EMU Foundation. She said the Foundation made a promise to investigate all options and private funding seemed to be the only good choice. Fitzsimmons also told the attendees the EMU Dream Act is still in its exploratory stage where all of the possibilities are being weighed and any disadvantages are being considered.
EMU junior Latasha Jones was also in attendance at the meeting. She said she would promote the EMU Dream Act. Speaking about the national level DREAM Act and students and workers across the country who are of an illegal and undocumented status, Jones asked, “They can contribute to the economy, but the government can’t contribute to them? Everybody deserves a chance.”
She also said those students shouldn’t be punished for the actions of their parents.
For more information, contact Matthew Norfleet at 734-487-1470 or check out the proposal online at www.emich.edu.
