LOS ANGELES — Asian Pacific American Legal Center Staff Attorney Carmina Ocampo used to be an undocumented student.
Now, she's part of the legal team representing them.
Ocampo recently joined representatives of other civil rights, student, and community organizations representing the Asian and Pacific Islanders filed a legal brief with the California Supreme Court supporting a state law that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition.
"Our brief supports the UC's efforts to keep open pathways to higher education for undocumented immigrant youth, defending their ability to pay in-state tuition under AB 540," said Ocampo.
AB 540 exempts otherwise qualified undocumented students from having to pay non-resident tuition rates in the University of California and Cal State University systems as well as community colleges provided they have attended a California high school for at least three years and graduated.
According to APALC, approximately 50% of documented and undocumented students receiving tuition break under AB 540 are Asian and Pacific Islanders, and Filipinos account for 10% of the total.
In 2005, a group representing out-of-state students claimed that undocumented students should not be allowed to pay the lower in-state tuition because they have no legal status. The claim contended that providing the reduced tuition to undocemented students means that out- of-state US citizens have to pay more.
The current cost to attend a UC school for in-state residents is about $11,000; while out-of-state students pay about triple that amount.
Ocampo said that many undocumented students don't qualify for financial aid, leaving AB 540 as their only hope to receive higher education, in many cases.
"Undocumented students have this right now but these groups are trying to take it away so these students they grew up here just like their peers and they just want to go to college just like any other student," she said.
Ocampo added that undocumented Filipino students would benefit from AB 540. However, she said that many parents are either reluctant to speak openly about their child's undocumented status or unaware that this kind of financial break is open for them.
Ocampo said the organizations that gathered to file the brief want to send out a strong message about the importance of education for undocumented youth.
Related info:
* Asian Pacific American Legal Center
* Text of AB 540 from the California State Senate website
Joseph Pimentel is a writer for Asian Journal.
Illustration for collage from California State Senate website
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Actually, federal law already prohibits a state from providing educational benefits to illegal aliens that it doesn't provide to citizens from other states regardless of residency. So, the State Law as it stands already violates federal law. There is a test case before the State Supreme Court of the federal law and if upheld, the State could face having to reimburse all out-of-state students for fees they were paid while the State provided in-state tuition to illegal aliens.
I thought illegal immigrants only do the jobs that Americans just wont do. So why do they need a college degree to pick fruit and mow lawns? The article states that the lady giving these people legal representation was an illegal herself. That is what I hate so mych about our country now: it is like an anarchy. Nobody obeys laws anymore. Politicians, bankers, illegal aliens, lawyers; it's all the same. The lagal system is a laughing stock.
I AM AMAZED ASIAN AMERICANS? OR MAYBE AMERICAN ASIANS? I HAVE ALWAYS BRAGGED ON ASIANS ? BECAUSE THEY USED TO COME TO A NEW COUNTRY AND NOT PLAY WELFARE ROUTE HAS THIS CHANGED? MEXICO IS THE LARGEST OFFENDER TO TAKEING AND NOT GIVEING ANYTHING BACK? EXCEPT COMPLAINTS AND MAYBE TRYING TO TAKE AMERICA. I HOPE THE ASIANS STILL HAVE THE PRIDE THEY USED TO HAVE? THE U.S.A. HAS ENOUGH TROUBLEMAKERS AND MOOCHERS . THANK YOU >>AN AMERICAN AND PROUD>>>