This week may signal a crucial turning point for undocumented students in Washington State. Following a long battle, legislators are poised to approve a measure that will bring the dream of college far closer to thousands of young people.
Since 2003, in-state tuition has been available to undocumented students who have lived in the state for at least three years. An important step, yes, but here’s the catch: undocumented students don’t currently have access to state financial aid and many can’t afford even in-state tuition. And as higher education costs continue to rise, the problem only magnifies. The fact is, a college degree can simply be unattainable for an undocumented student who does not have access to financial aid.
After being held up by state Senate Republicans since last year’s legislative session, a bill to extend eligibility for financial aid to undocumented students in the form of State Needs Grants got a name change-The REAL Hope Act-and five million dollars, and it could finally become law as early as this week. Whatever the name, Democrats for Education Reform strongly supports the initiative and urges our legislators to make this dream a reality.
However, we won’t be doing undocumented students, or any student for that matter, any favors if we don’t make sure that they’re ready for college in the first place, which is why it’s also crucial for the legislature to seize the opportunity this session to implement a true college and career ready diploma. Right now in Washington, too many students graduate from high school lacking the minimum requirements to attend a public university. In fact, fewer than half of our graduates meet those requirements, so it is somewhat unsurprising that as a state we rank 46th in the nation in sending our students to college. Let’s honor our DREAMers and all of the students in Washington by ensuring that they have a real path to college, and financial support when they get there.
Extending the promise of opportunity to young DREAMers is a no-brainer. Many have lived in the U.S. for nearly their entire lives and have only been educated in American schools. They, like every citizen, make up the fabric of our communities. They are American in every sense of the word—that is until they try to do what their friends, classmates, and neighbors do to move ahead, like applying for financial aid to college. The fact that college is out of reach for so many only underscores the arbitrary, unjust reality of what it means to be “undocumented.” It casts intelligent, hardworking students into perpetual limbo—and, frankly, that’s un-American.
Let’s take a crucial step for Washington by setting all of our students up for academic success and giving them the opportunity and encouragement to keep going—regardless of where they’re from.
Stay tuned.
Tania de Sá Campos joined DFER Washington (DFER-WA) in April 2013 as Deputy State Director. In her role, Tania engages with a growing constituency of active, reform-minded Democrats and works with partners and allies to position Washington state as a leader in the next evolution of the movement to give every child a great education.