Illinois Gov Signs Immigrant Education Law
SPRINFIELD, IL - Illinois governor Pat Quinn signed legislation giving undocumented immigrant students access to educational benefits today. This makes Illinois the second state in less than a week to pass legislation aimed at bolstering education for undocumented immigrants.
The "Dream Act" will establish a private fund, administered by a volunteer state commission, to make scholarships available to about 95,000 children of undocumented immigrants who graduate from Illinois high schools.
The bill will allow families of the students to participate in the state’s college tuition savings programs. It also will enable high school counselors and college admissions officers to provide information regarding educational opportunities to undocumented students.
The California DREAM Act, signed last week by governor Jerry Brown, granted undocumented immigrants at public universities greater access to privately funded scholarships.
The California state legislature is debating a more controversial measure to allow undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition, which Brown has signaled he supports.
Both the Illinois and the California bills differ from the federal DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants who emigrated illegally as children.
All three acts are based on the premise that some undocumented immigrants -- namely, those who are integrated into society and do not have criminal records -- should have greater access to government resources.
