Students who do not hold legal or permanent U.S. (or California) residency are subject to pay OUT OF STATE FEES for any college work they take.

This equals to drastic differences in fees for los indocumentados if they ever want to attend college---

for instance--

community college--

1 course = approx. $86

versus

1 course = approx. $360

and this is only community college level difference in fees!

PLUS--any such students are also NOT ELIGIBLE for virtually ANY financial aid--definetely NO government aid is available, and 99.9% of any scholarships are going to demand on a social security and/or permanent U.S. resident in order to qualify.

This effectively cuts out immigrant students from higer education.

CALIFORNIA has a state law called A.B. 540 which allows students who have at least had 3 YEARS of High School in California, and who graduate high school, to enable them to take college courses at the NORMAL / IN STATE fee, but they STILL are eligible for ZERO financial aid.

The California Dream Act will accomplish primarily two hugely important things:

1) allow for legal residency for those those immigrant students who complete at least 2 years of college (or serve in military)

and

2) permit AB 540 students to receive and be eligible for the same financial aid that any other student is eligible for.