By Judy K. Sakaki
Since 2001, the University of California – and California as a whole – has made enormous strides in expanding college opportunities for students who have proven their academic talent by graduating from a California high school but who still face tremendous hurdles to success because they happen to be undocumented.
The first major step was the enactment of Assembly Bill 540 in 2001, which authorized California public colleges and universities to charge in-state tuition to undocumented students who graduated from a California high school after attending for at least three years. The next major advancement was the passage of two bills in 2011 known together as the California Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which allowed these same students to receive state and UC financial aid.
As such, beginning in January 2012, the UC was permitted to award scholarships funded by private gifts and donations to undocumented students, and about 200 students received a total of $1.2 million as a result. A year later, these students became eligible for the same UC grants and scholarships available to documented California residents.
Thanks to these new laws, about 700 undocumented undergraduates received over $10 million in UC aid during the 2012-2013 academic year. This year, undocumented students are eligible for the full array of state and university-funded financial aid, including Cal Grants. Preliminary estimates suggest that over 1,500 students will receive more than $25 million in Cal Grants and UC grants and scholarships.
And although undocumented students are still excluded from federal aid – including Pell Grants – these students can qualify for additional UC grants to compensate them for that loss. As a result of these policies, undocumented students at the UC are eligible for the same amount of total grant and scholarship assistance as documented California residents with similar costs and family financial resources. These policies are designed to place undocumented students on the same financial aid footing as documented students, despite the continuing federal exclusion. This year, undocumented students who qualify for aid under the DREAM Act are expected to receive, on average, over $16,000 in grant and scholarship support.
The road from exclusion towards equity has been a long one. And even though California DREAM Act students are now eligible for the same grant and scholarship assistance as documented Californians, Dreamers still face significant challenges. They lack access to low interest student loans and work-study opportunities that federal funding makes available, which makes it harder to cover the “self-help” component of financial aid packages. They also face additional challenges associated with their undocumented status that impact their retention, success and graduation.
The $5 million that UC President Janet Napolitano has committed will help undocumented students address some of these remaining challenges. Most of the funding will be used to provide access to low interest loans and work-study jobs. The remainder will help campuses expand services to help undocumented students address their unique challenges.
The University of California is dedicated to providing a world-class education to all eligible students, regardless of their background or immigration status. As President Napolitano has said, there are no second-class students at the UC. Although there is no substitute for comprehensive immigration reform, this $5 million initiative aims to close the opportunity gap between our documented and undocumented students.
Judy K. Sakaki is the University of California’s vice president for student affairs.