As the California State Senate voted to pass the Dream Act Sept. 1, young Californians from all backgrounds moved closer to attaining the accessible, affordable education that was once the hallmark of the California public education system.
Illegal immigrants who meet certain criteria now have access to fee waivers and other forms of financial aid, but this is only one step toward bringing California public schools back to prominence.
The cost of higher education continues to soar, and the burden has been increasingly passed on to the students. Average student loan debt continues to rise as state revenue decreases, shrinking the budgets of University of California and the California State University systems.
With the passing of the Dream Act, Gov. Jerry Brown has an unprecedented opportunity to push for more reform. The burden of education should not fall any more on the students then it already has.
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