does return such a decision to the state level. Students who
meet all requirements for conditional permanent residency status as outlined in the DREAM Act will be eligible for federal
student loan and work-study programs.
The Influence of Educators
Higher education constituents are rallying around passage
of the DREAM Act in 2010. NASPA is a founding member of the Act on the DREAM Coalition, comprised largely
of higher education associations and spearheaded by the
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
The coalition’s founding members and additional institutional
and individual supporters are committed to the enactment of
the DREAM Act legislation this year.
One of NASPA’s goals is to provide leadership in higher
education through policy development and advocacy for
students on important international, national, state, and local
issues. Among NASPA’s core values are diversity, access, and
learning. In accordance with these goals and values, NASPA
Executive Director Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy issued a statement on June 16, 2010, in support of the DREAM Act at
the Act on the DREAM Coalition press conference. Dungy
acknowledged that in order to achieve President Obama’s
ambitious goal for the United States to have the highest
proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, “student
affairs educators are committed to increasing both access
and student persistence to graduation…yet, for the 50,000
to 70,000 undocumented students that graduate from U.S.
high schools every year, barriers still remain to their accessing
higher education and reaching their full potential as contributing members of society.” Dungy noted that instead of providing access that would result in a well-educated and employed
populace, current policy promotes an uneducated and/or
unemployed or under-employed group.
NASPA Latino/a Knowledge Community Co-chairs
Michelle Espino and Juan Guardia concur with this notion of
increased education access, noting, “The DREAM Act would
provide young men and women across the nation the oppor-
tunity to fulfill their dreams of earning college degrees. This
legislation opens doors to individuals who have the desire and
ability to positively contribute to our society by becoming part
of the educated citizenry.”
Additionally, the NASPA Public Policy Division has actively
supported passage of the DREAM Act since its introduction
and is encouraging senators and representatives to cosponsor
the legislation. Once a critical mass of cosponsors is reached,
Senate leadership has committed to bring the legislation to the
floor knowing they have the necessary votes for passage.
The Power of Public Policy
Public policy has the power to greatly influence educational
opportunities for undocumented students. A broad approach
is needed to educate our society and address common myths
regarding undocumented students.
A recent article in the Journal of College Admission justifies
why educators, particularly college counselors, should support
undocumented students (“Why These Students,” by K. Gin,
Issue 206, 2010). Among other attributes, the author notes
that undocumented students have proven their ability to suc-
DREAM ACT;WEBINAR
In mid-September, NASPA’s Latino/a Knowledge
Community sponsored a webinar on the DREAM Act. The
event included a discussion by researchers who focused
on this topic from the perspectives of the Latino/a and
Asian Pacific Islanders communities as well as practitioners who work directly with undocumented students.
Archived copies of the webinar will be available in early
November 2010 on the NASPA website.
ceed and serve as powerful role models. More pragmatically,
she suggests that it is a waste of resources if undocumented
students do not attend college, alluding to the fact that the
nation already supports elementary and secondary education
for this population. Among the most compelling reasons for
passage of the DREAM Act that she offers: Undocumented
students affirm the belief in the value of hard work, they want
to contribute meaningfully to this country, and, when the
DREAM Act passes, undocumented youth who have gone to
college will have a path to legal residency and work.
A particularly volatile aspect of this issue is undocumented
college student access to financial aid benefits. Reports about
the financial drain that undocumented immigrants have on
the U.S. economy are common. When considered from a
broader perspective, it is evident that the DREAM Act can
actually help these young people become assets to society. As
they move into the workforce, they will contribute their tax
dollars in support of elementary and secondary education and
other available public services.
As president and CEO of the American Association of
Community Colleges, George R. Boggs understands the harsh
realities of a generation who has been given the right to attend
elementary and secondary school only to be stopped short of
education beyond grade 12. His strong appeal for Congress to
revive and pass the DREAM Act, in both his writings and at
the Act on the DREAM Coalition press conference, highlights
positive connections between the act and our nation’s economic competitiveness. He argues for business leaders to realize the potential that such a policy holds in helping produce
the skilled workforce so desperately in demand. He underscores the value of industry partnerships with other interest
groups in urging Congress to pass the DREAM Act.
Current Status of the DREAM Act
By mid-August, the DREAM Act had 40 Senate cosponsors
and 128 House cosponsors. Educators and others are actively
urging passage of the DREAM Act. Bipartisan support
remains strong and unprecedented support among the leadership of relevant committees and the White House contribute to the sense that 2010 is an opportune time to pass the
DREAM Act. As noted in Dungy’s press conference remarks,
no matter what one’s feelings about larger immigration issues,
the DREAM Act is vitally important to the future of students
and this nation. LE
Marcia Kennard Kiessling is assistant vice chancellor, student activities,
diversity, and special projects at the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte and serves as the NASPA public policy representative for
Region III.
