<p>It makes zero sense to give financial aid to illegal immigrants while the public university systems in CA is struggling financially (i.e. inability to keep the tuition down).</p>
<p>inb4flamewar.</p>
<p>A politician will do anything for votes.</p>
<p>i’ve never understood how people think economics can trump morality when the two conflict (‘we can’t release slaves, we’re making so much money off of them. Imagine what this would do to the economy?’)</p>
<p>just because california’s isn’t in the best financial place right now doesn’t mean it will always be. Besides, the legislation doesn’t even go through for another 2 years. Anyone who wants an education should be able to get one, they’ll contribute more to taxes and the economy. </p>
<p>If this legislation becomes a success, it might be enough to transfer widepread reform. i imagine that there will be some path to citizenship thrown there eventually to fix the whole ‘you can’t get a job after you graduate’ thing (again, assuming this succeeds.)</p>
<p>Beyphy brings up some good points. In the end, the best thing for California’s future is a well educated workforce/population. Having more people go to college will bring everyone up. We need to do everything we can in this state to fix education, put a priority on education, make sure students stay in high school, and make sure as many people as possible go to college. It will help us all in the long run as Beyphy states.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that employing illegal immigrants is illegal. So even if these people can get an education, they’ll have a hell of a time finding a job.</p>
<p>The thing is, there are plenty of students who, even with financial aid, cannot afford college. There are others who, along with working part time, receive just enough aid to be able to attend university. Such legislation will undoubtedly make these students unable to afford college. (Personally I know plenty of people who fall in the “just enough aid” category.)</p>
<p>The question is, why should these legal residents be barred from pursuing higher education due to funding undocumented students? Their parents have paid into the CA tax pool K-12. If you really wanted to promote education for the masses, legislation should be focused on making education affordable for, first and foremost, the legal residents who cannot afford it. Not for illegal immigrants who’s parents have not paid their fair share, if anything, to the tax pool.</p>
<p>Its ironic that many of the same students I see protesting UC tuition hikes are the ones that have been pushing for the Dream Act. Good luck paying for college in 2013 when your financial aid has turned into loans.</p>
<p>I agree, its important to have an educated workforce. However, we should be reaching out towards our legal residents first before we have any notions of helping out others. Undocumented students are not filing a job void. Heck, the employment rate of %12 for CA is among highest in the nation. (And thats under-reported). </p>
<p>And the problem with what to do with the over 11 million illegal immigrants is still there. We already give too many incentives to come to the US illegally. This is only exacerbating the problem.</p>
<p>Gatos is completely right. </p>
<p>This act would only be acceptable if there was a surplus of tuition money, which there isn’t (and won’t be for a very long time). To be honest (and possibly a bit racial), this bill would not have passed if it wasn’t for the Latino population that has entered the legislative sector of the California state government and is supporting legislation based on ethnicity. This is simply a matter of playing favorites with the most visible racial group of this state, and it’s kind of sickening… They didn’t have a right to come here to begin with, so we shouldn’t give them an incentive to keep coming.</p>
<p>First of all, illegal immigrants don’t get to vote, secondly, illegal immigration in California has pretty much stopped, and now mexicans are actually going back to Mexico because it’s easier to get a job there, third, our financial aid system is great, my family is on a 32,000$ income, and UCB gave my brother 35k a year, fourth, why the hell do people dehumanize Mexican immigrants with terms like “illegals”, these are people, and if they work hard enough, they should be able to get an education like anybody else. I’m a white guy who wants to go to UCB by the way</p>
<p>^Yes anybody should be able to get an education I completely agree. However, if they break the law they should be punished in accordance just like any person should. I am for education for everyone as well as punishment for anyone that breaks laws. Goes hand in hand. Equality is a beautiful thing.</p>
<p>1 in something like 20 immigrants to California get their citizenship as chosen at random, or by qualifications, such as college</p>
<p>Also, What about the massive proportion of college students who smoke pot, because that’s a crime (although I think immigration to california and pot should be legal)</p>
<p>SamSaulsbury, no one is trying to dehumanize them, we are simply describing them for what they are. They are immigrants that immigrated to the US illegally. Hence, illegal immigrants. Also, you probably shouldn’t assume that all Mexican immigrants are illegal and that all illegal immigrants are Mexican; neither is mutually exclusive.</p>
<p>Finally, yes your financial aid is great because your family income is low. However, go tell someone whose parents earn $80,000/year that financial aid is great. They fall smack dab into that category of where their parents earn too much for financial aid, but they cannot afford to pay for their kids’ college education. Thus, the only other option is student loans and debt. However, guess where the taxes that their parents pay will now go? To pay for financial aid for illegal immigrants.</p>
<p>“if they break the law they should be punished” You should “punish” people who “broke the law” when they were one year old and had no say in it? The dream act deals with people who were brought here as children by their parents.</p>
<p>Now that is a good point, and in fact i have friends who fall into that category, but there are merit scholarships, not that those are readily available, but I don’t think this was purely vote based for our governor, I think there are arguments to both sides, and he chose what was right in his opinion. This is definitely gray-area legislation as far as pros and cons. I do think education reform probably should have come preceding this</p>
<p>btw I was adress rusoboy, not spoon</p>
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<p>who says the two are mutually exclusive? Are our only options really to help illegal immigrants or betray native californians? this is absurd.</p>
<p>California’s higher education system was meant for california residents not just for ‘legals’, and excluding ‘illegals’ what has a bunch of people mad is that you don’t need to be an american citizen to be a Californian. (although i will admit that this does seem counter-intuitive)</p>
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<p>that latino population is representing what’s probably the largest minority, in terms of race, in california. The whole point of representatives is that they’re supposed to represent the population and their interests, which california’s legislators have clearly done.</p>
<p>In regards to the bill, this isn’t even guaranteed money. To receive it, one needs the requisite grades to get it. That doesn’t mean to say that this will benefit more asian IIs than Mexican IIs, but i wouldn’t doubt that both would receive a substantial amount of it.</p>
<p>lastly, let’s get some math in here:</p>
<p>IMS, the new legislation will require an additional 40m out of the 1.2b pot. That amounts to roughly .003% It’s not even half of a percent.</p>
<p>^ Doesn’t matter what percentage it is, $40M is still money that should go to legal residents of this country.</p>
<p>I’m disappointed the Dream Act passed. I’m sure there are a lot of moral issues behind it, but truth it, we don’t have the money and yet we are continuing to spend on policies like this. No wonder California is broke. Terrible management. Almost as bad as our football team.</p>
<p>When I told my kid that some states give illegal aliens in-state tuition, he literally thought I was kidding.</p>
<p>He is the grandson of a WW II vet. Should not he get the same tuition as an illegal alien if he applied to your state???</p>
<p>I was not a Vietnam Vet, but let’s say I was. Should not he then be treated at least as well as the illegal alient?</p>
<p>I am not anti-immigrant, but this is ridiculous. And I understand that 10 states do this.</p>
<p>Sam:</p>
<p>Let’s reverse the situation.</p>
<p>Go to Mexico, and tell them that you want them to pay for your college education there. Explain to them that they would be dehumanizing you if they didn’t submit to your demands, because you aren’t really an “illegal”.</p>
<p>See what they say !!!</p>