The Philippine Online Chronicles

The California Dream Act was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on Saturday, allowing illegal immigrants to access state money for tertiary education.

While it does not give green cards to immigrants who came to the United States as minors – lawmakers are yet to approve the controversial Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act – it provides for educational grants and a short-term residents’ permit.

“Going to college is a dream that promises intellectual excitement and creative thinking. The Dream Act benefits us all by giving top students a chance to improve their lives and the lives of all of us,” Brown said.

An estimated 2,500 students will qualify for the grants, costing around $14.5 million. Under the act, illegal immigrants who attended high school in California can avail of the Cal-Grant aid which gives an average of $4,500 to poor students. The program is allocated a $1.4 billion fund, meaning that only 1 percent of the money will be spend on illegal immigrants.

California’s DREAM Act will also give high school graduates a six-year resident’s permit to allow them to pursue higher education.

More than 55,000 immigrant children will benefit from the act. These children were brought to the United States by their parents, only to find college off-limits because of their legal status and the high tuition fees.

Brown is a veteran Democrat who took office in January, replacing Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger who vetoed the legislation.

A week ago, 34 undocumented Filipinos with criminal records were arrested and readied for deportation.

Last month, more than 100,000 people joined the Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who wrote an article in New York Times revealing past as an illegal immigrant from the Philippines, in pushing for the passage of the US DREAM Act.

After the publication of his article, he started the Define American project.

“The time has come for to strike up a more civil, inclusive, common sense debate about immigration in America,” he said.

“I am overwhelmed by the response: 100,000 Americans from different backgrounds and from all over the country coming together to spark a powerful new dialogue about what it means to be an American,” he said.