Private scholarship fund would aid undocumented students
Photo/Mark Nash
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Two laws are circulating in the New York State Legislature that aim to grant assistance to college-bound undocumented immigrants. Proposals have been made for a taxpayer-funded program and a privately funded program. State legislators should act on the latter proposal.
An estimated 6,200 undocumented students are in need of college financial assistance. Syracuse University, as well as State University New York and City University New York schools, allows undocumented students to apply.
Though undocumented students attending New York’s public institutions are eligible for in-state tuition rates, no federal or state tuition assistance is currently granted, reported The Post-Standard on Feb. 24.
These students would benefit from the opportunities higher education provides in the United States. Therefore, they should have access to a privately funded scholarship that will assist them in achieving their collegiate goals and creating a future they desire.
It is unclear where the private funds for the expansion of tuition assistance would come from, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo has yet to provide any details, according to the article. Before this act is discussed further in the state legislature, the details of a concrete, feasible plan must be made public.
The proposed legislation for a taxpayer-funded program would, if passed, not use taxpayer dollars until 2015, according to a plan by the state senate. Instead, it would first rely on $4 million generated from new casino licensing fees. But this is not a stable plan, as the casinos have yet to be approved by the state legislature and voters.
Beyond this, using citizens’ taxes to fund the education of undocumented students is contentious, as many New Yorkers see this as an unfair allocation of their finances.
The plans for granting state and federal assistance to college-bound undocumented students have been met with bipartisan support. Though this is a step forward in aiding them, the concept of a private scholarship program would allow these students to access funding while not using taxpayer dollars.