May 3, 2010
by Vincent Fernandez | Photo Editor
Assembly Bill 540, a state bill enacted into law in 2002 that allows illegal immigrants who meet certain requirements to pay resident fees at colleges and universities, is under fire.
The law’s future is uncertain. The two Republican candidates for governor, Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman, say they will cut or end AB 540, if elected. Both cite illegal immigration as one of the top issues of their respective campaigns, and seek to end education funding for illegal immigrants, which they say will save the state money.
Excluding the UC and CSU systems, the outcome will impact just over 34,000 community college students statewide, some here at City College.
One of them is Rosa, an AB 540 City College student whose real name is not being used. Rosa came to the United States at the age of 9. Although an excellent student, she was initially discouraged during her high school years in Sacramento.
“I basically thought it wasn’t worth the time because I thought I wasn’t going to be able to go to college,” Rosa said.
Eligibility for AB 540 status requires students to have attended a California high school for three or more years and graduated or attained an equivalent degree. Students must also have begun their studies after fall 2002, when AB 540 became law, and must be attempting to legalize their status.
After a cousin told her about AB 540, Rosa enrolled at City College. She feels it has greatly benefited her, but she worries about the upcoming election. She says ending AB 540 would ruin her life.
“If I believe in equal access and the community college mission,” said City College English professor Travis Silcox, who made a short film about AB540 in 2008, “then I need to advocate on behalf of [AB 540] students who are here.”
AB 540 is a state law, not a federal law. Currently only nine states offer AB 540-type programs.
“Their rationale for getting rid of in-state tuition is to save the state dollars,” said City College Dean of Learning Resources Rhonda Rios Kravitz. “That is totally untruthful when you look at the numbers.”
AB 540 students make up less than 1 percent of the total student body in all three of the state’s higher education systems. Since they are not eligible for federal or state aid, all costs come out of their own pocket.
Although she tries not to, Rosa says, “I catch myself blocking out possibilities because of my status.”
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How long do we have to pretend that there is not something wrong with this system? To all of you here who will get mad at this post, you would feel the same if it were your country being invaded. How long do we have to look the other way when someone does something the wrong way? Coming into this country without going through the proper channels is ILLEGAL!!!!! Now we are giving them a free ride??? My great grandparents came here through Ellis island, the proper way. I am sick and tired of hearing that we are paying for yet another way for these criminals to get away with their crimes. No one is saying you are not good people. You may be the best neighbor I have ever had. Lord knows your lawn is much nicer than mine. You are, however, a criminal. If you came here without going through the proper channels, YOU ARE A CRIMINAL. CRIMINALS in this country are either jailed or deported. I am sorry if this causes you grief. We’d love to have you back, AFTER you go home and come here the right way!!!!!!We do not (or should not) reward people for circumventing our laws!! What if someone were to come into your home and steal your hard earned money or the tools you use to make a living? You’d want that person punished for their crime wouldn’t you? Now imagine, instead of punishing that person, the powers that be just gave him or her a job so that they could earn a decent living with the tools they just stole from you. Would YOU accept that? why is this any different????
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You obviously do not understand the immigration system. Most if not all of the AB 540 students would be BARRED from re-entering the United States if they left now. THIS IS THEIR HOME, why do you want to punish children for the mistakes of their PARENTS?
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OK, so I know you will say “you didn’t rad the article” “the money comes out of their own pocket”. Sure the tuition comes out of their own pocket. The colleges would normally get almost twice the tuition from someone who lives out of state. They are not. Who do you think absorbs the money lost by forcing these institutions to charge someone a lower rate? Do you thing they are not just going to pass it off onto the other students to make up the difference??? They are not just going to absorb the losses. that is not how our system works.
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I think the college community needs to wake up and realize that one of the reasons funds are being cut for CA colleges is due to illegal aliens. There is simply no argument that can dispute the fact that illegals cost this state billions ever year. It’s sad to see college students protesting funding cuts yet supporting illegal aliens. You simply can’t have it both ways. The free ride is over for everyone, not just illegal college students! CA is near bankruptcy and does not have a printing press like Washington. You will soon see that cutting AB540 is the least of your worries!
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So basically what you are all saying is that we should punish young men and women, most of whom probably had NO IDEA of their status as children because really, at what age did YOU know what a social security number is, for the sins of their parents? You want to punish these students who know only the US as their home for coming here as infants and children? The Founding Fathers would be rolling in their graves.
People that go to school here out of state receive FINANCIAL AID. AB 540 students get NOTHING. They pay CASH out of POCKET. Get over yourselves.
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