Second half of DREAM Act passed in Senate
By James Barragan
Aug. 31, 2011 1:57 p.m.
The California Senate passed the second half of the California DREAM Act today by a vote of 22 to 11.
AB 131, proposed by Assemblymember Gil Cedillo D-Los Angeles, will allow undocumented students that meet in-state tuition requirements access to state financial aid such as Cal Grants. The bill received one more vote than necessary to pass.
The bill now returns to the state Assembly for approval of amendments made to the bill. The version that passed in the Assembly allowed for students who graduated from adult schools and other alternative education mediums within one year to be eligible for state financial aid.
Amendments from the Senate have limited financial aid recipients to AB 540 students “”mdash; students who completed three or more years of high school, and graduated in the state of California.
The Assembly must agree with the amendments before the bill heads to Gov. Jerry Brown for approval.
Today’s action comes slightly more than a month after the first half of the DREAM Act was signed into law. AB-130 allows public universities to provide undocumented students with financial aid from private funds.
