Fighting for the Dream

By First Graduate College Student Einar Sevilla

Article originally published in The Guardsman, City College of San Francisco's daily paper.

Twenty-year-old Raul Barrera says graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA and is a dedicated employee, but he barely makes ends meet.
His City College tuition is equivalent to one month’s salary at his construction job in Oakland and he struggles to cover the rent for a room he shares with his girlfriend, Elsa Ramos. The Internet is their only luxury.

Barrera, who came to the U.S. illegally in 2007, should be a perfect candidate for the new California Dream Act. The Dream Act, made up of Assembly Bills 130 and 131, was signed by Governor Jerry Brown this year and will allow undocumented students to receive both public and private scholarships and grants.

In order to qualify for the California Dream Act students must meet certain requirements. They must have attended a California high school for a minimum of three years, must have earned a diploma or GED, and must file an affidavit with their college or university stating that they intend to apply for legal immigrant status.

But when the California Dream Act finally takes effect in January of 2013 for many students, including Barrera, it will be too late.

To continue reading the article, visit The Guardsman online.

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