WASHINGTON — Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, wants to help illegal immigrant children attend college in America — and to earn permanent U.S. residency if they graduate.
He introduced this week what he calls the DREAM Act, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.
Hatch told the Senate it would "allow children who have been brought to the United States through no volition of their own the opportunity to fulfill their dreams — to secure a college degree and legal status."
He said that by current law, undocumented alien children are entitled to a subsidized education in public schools through high school. He said an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 of them graduate from high school each year.
But he said they face barriers to obtain a college education.
"Generally, admittance to college is not a problem," but obtaining financial aid is, he said.
"Presently the law penalizes states that grant a post-secondary benefit, such as in-state tuition, to an undocumented student unless the state also provides that same benefit to out-of-state students," Hatch said.
His bill would repeal that provision.
It would also give "conditional permanent resident" status to any undocumented alien who has been admitted to a U.S. college who has also lived in the United States for five years and has not been convicted of certain offenses.
If they graduate from a two-year institution within four years, or a four-year college within six years, Hatch's bill would make that student a full-fledged permanent resident.
Hatch's bill comes as Republicans and Democrats are debating whether to grant amnesty to various groups of illegal aliens.
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