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Community members also urged to sign petition supporting DREAMers
AmigosNAZ staff reports
FLAGSTAFF — The Northern Arizona Interfaith Council has signed a petition asking the Board of Regents to allow DREAMers to pay in-state tuition, the organization reported in a media release.
“Currently they have to pay out-of-state tuition which, as you might imagine, makes higher education virtually inaccessible to many Dreamers. As NAIC, we feel it is important to help eliminate one big barrier to keeps so many of our own from fully contributing to society and ultimately to the common good,” Roxana Cardiel De Niz, NAIC interim organizer, stated in the release.
To further that effort, NAIC, Friends of Flagstaff’s Future and other organizations are urging community members to come out to Heritage Square at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 for a march to the the Flagstaff City Hall.
“Wear a white T-shirt and join us at City Council,” F3 reported in a media release. “Please ask Council to pass a resolution calling for in-state tuition, financial aid and state funded scholarships for DREAMers”
F3 also urges community members to come to the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) meeting at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 in the Humphreys Room of the High Country Conference Center to express support for the change in in-state tuition policy.
“Since 2006, and the passage of Proposition 300 in Arizona, undocumented students ‘without lawful immigration status’ have been prohibited from receiving in-state tuition, state-funded financial aid or scholarships at any state university in Arizona, F3 reported on its Facebook page. “By denying financial benefits, we are effectively denying young people who have grown up in Arizona the opportunity of a college education. This weakens our communities, damages our economy and hurts our state.”
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Editor’s Note:A Change.org petition has been initiated to request a change the Arizona Board of Regents policy to allow DACA-approved DREAMers to attend a state university in Arizona for in-state tuition with eligibility to receive state-funded financial aid and scholarships.
Click here for a link to the petition.
Change ABOR policy to allow DACA-approved DREAMers to attend a state university in Arizona for in-state tuition with eligibility to receive state-funded financial aid and scholarships
Nevertheless, with the announcement of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by President Barrack Obama in June 2012, DREAMers, young people who were brought to this country without documents as children, are now able to obtain:
-Legal presence in the United States
-Work permits
-Drivers Licenses in the state of Arizona.
There are over 20,000 DACA-approved DREAMers in Arizona who have been, and are, paying taxes to help fund education in Arizona. They are assets to our communities. Having more educated people in our state is advantageous to everyone involved at every level of society. A higher percentage of our population with degrees in Higher Education can, and will, help our economy grow. Furthermore, at a time of budget crisis, allowing more students to enroll in our state institutions will help to ameliorate this crisis since a large percentage of university operating budgets are derived from student tuition.
Whereas,“Education is the cornerstone of a free and enlightened people, and the Arizona Board of Regents affirms that higher education is beneficial to both the individual and society. In order to realize an educated society, a comprehensive and responsible set of financial assistance programs is crucial. These programs will ensure access to higher education, provide choice among education opportunities, promote diversity, enrich campus life, foster retention and graduation of students, and assist in the preparation of a better work force.” (Arizona Board of Regents 4-300 Student Financial Aid Preamble, March 2007)
Whereas, “The State’s responsibility is to keep the cost of education as nearly free as possible.” (Arizona Board of Regents, Policy Goals, March 2007).
Whereas, the Faculty Senates from the three state universities, Northern Arizona University (NAU), Arizona State University (ASU) and University of Arizona (UofA) have passed resolutions supporting in-state tuition for DACA-approved DREAMers.
We the undersigned respectfully call on the presidents of the Arizona’s three state universities, Rita Cheng-NAU, Michael M. Crow-ASU and Ann Weaver Hart-UofA, to address the Arizona Board of Regents and to support a change in policy wherein DACA-approved DREAMers are allowed to attend a state university for in-state tuition and eligibility to receive state-funded financial aid and scholarships.
We the undersigned respectfully call on the Arizona Board of Regents, and ask that they change ABOR policy and allow DACA-approved DREAMers to attend a state university in Arizona for in-state tuition with eligibility to receive state-funded financial aid and scholarships.
In light in recent changes allowing DREAMers legal presence and Drivers Licenses in the state of Arizona, and in light of the harmony of their aspirations and the well-being of Arizona, it is time to facilitate their access to higher education. It is time for the three state universities, NAU, ASU and UofA, to recognize DACA-approved DREAMers as Arizona state residents for purposes of educational benefits including in-state tuition, financial aid and scholarships. Allowing DREAMers access to our institutions of higher education will help our state succeed economically, and will help everyone to prosper. Arizonans are compassionate people—let’s build a state where our young DREAMers have the opportunity to receive a college education and to fulfill the American dream!