Faculty and Staff News

Roberto G. Gonzales makes case for the DREAM Act legislation, which will provide 360,000 undocumented high school graduates with legal means to work and attend college in the United States.

The Collge Board released its independent report, "Young Lives on Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students," written by Roberto G. Gonzales, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, in preparation for the reintroduction of the Dream Act, which was first introduced in Congress in 2001 but did not pass.

Among the findings of this report: (taken from "Young Lives on Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students." PDF version)

• About 65,000 undocumented children who have lived in the United States for five years or longer graduate from high school each year. Although they can legally attend most colleges, they are not eligible for most forms of financial aid.
• Because of the barriers to their continued education and their exclusion from the legal workforce, only a fraction of undocumented high school graduates go to college.
• Given the opportunity to receive additional education and move into better-paying jobs, undocumented students would pay more in taxes and have more money to spend and invest in the U.S. economy.
• The 10 states that, since 2001, have passed laws allowing undocumented students who graduate from in-state high schools to qualify for in-state college tuition have not experienced a large influx of new immigrant students who have displaced native-born students or added financial burdens to their education systems. In fact, these measures tend to increase school revenues by bringing in tuition from students who otherwise would not be in college.
• The bipartisan Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, first introduced in Congress in 2001, would fix a flaw in our current laws by providing a mechanism by which undocumented students who have lived in the U.S. since childhood may apply for legal permanent resident status if they graduate from high school and go on to college or military service.
• The DREAM Act would provide 360,000 undocumented high school graduates with a legal means to work and attend college, and could provide incentives for another 715,000 youngsters between the ages of 5 and 17 to finish high school and pursue postsecondary education.
• In strictly economic terms, the contributions that DREAM Act students would make over their lifetimes would dwarf the small additional investment in their education beyond high school, and the intangible benefits of legalizing and educating these students would be significant.

"The growing pool of young adults who lack both adequate educational access to keep them socially mobile and the legal right to work in the United States presents serious problems not only for the students themselves but also for U.S. society as a whole." –Roberto G. Gonzales, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of Washington

Here is a partial listing of media coverage of the report and the DREAM Act legislation:

1. CNN Report finds undocumented students face college roadblocks
2. The Chronicle of Higher Education College Board Announces Support for Immigration Bill (login required)
3. La Opinion Quieren aulas para indocumentados
4. LA Times College Board steps into the immigration debate
5. USA Today: College Board wants more help for illegal immigrants
6. US News & World Report College Board Backs Bill to Legalize Undocumented Students
   
7. Learning the Language The College Board Backs the 'DREAM Act'
8. Inside Higher Ed Dare to DREAM... in 2009?
9. PHYSORG.com Undocumented students face barriers to higher education
10. Diverse Issues in College Education College Board Report: 350,000 Undocumented Students Would Benefit From DREAM Act
11. UWNews.org Undocumented students face barriers to higher education