Each year approximately 50,000-65,000 undocumented students graduate from American high schools. Many of these students were brought to the United States when they were very young and grew up in American schools, learning American values and experiencing American culture.
Unfortunately the majority of these individuals are not able to access higher education due to the lack of in-state tuition for undocumented students and because of their inability to work legally to pay for school. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act offers an opportunity for these students to apply for conditional legal status and eventual citizenship based on strong character, hard work and the pursuit of military service or higher education.
The DREAM Act would also overturn a federal law punishing states that choose to provide in-state tuition to undocumented students.
Legislative Update
In May 2011, the DREAM Act was reintroduced in both the House (HR 1842) and the Senate (S 952).
