Illegal immigrant college students in the United States are now seeing a glimmer of hope that their hard-earned degrees would not go for waste.

With the passage of the Assembly Bill 540 law in 2001, undocumented students were allowed to pay in-state tuition at California state higher education institutions. However, once they graduate from college, these students have to
struggle to get a decent job.

William Perez, assistant professor of education at Claremont Graduate University, concluded a rare survey on the fate of illegal-immigrant students after college. Perez surveyed 200 students and concluded that the students do hope to see some reform that would recognize their education skills and help alter their legal status.

According to Perez, there are about 1.3 million illegal-immigrant children entering the kindergarten to 12th grade. Graduating seniors are numbered around 65,000, out of which 13,000 are in colleges.

He says that apart from that there are those who cannot go to a graduate school. They have no choice but to choose low-paying jobs such as housekeepers, migrant workers, or private tutors. Recently, a group of senators reached a consensus on immigration-reform legislation. The proposed reform would establish a merit system based on the skills and attributes that illegal immigrants bring along with them. The program would give future immigrants applying for permanent residency, points based on their skills and education.

In addition, a number of student groups consisting of AB 540 qualifiers recently gathered at Cal State Los Angeles in support of Sen. Gil Cedillo’s California Dream Act. The legislation, whichCedillo introduced last year and was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, would help immigrant students to get scholarships and financial aid. Student groups also plan to appeal to the Congress to consider the Federal Dream Act. According to the Act, undocumented students could get conditional permanent resident status if they have stayed in the United States for five years or more. The Act requires them to be under the age of 16 when they enter the country. They should also have graduated from high school or enrolled in an institution of higher education.

California, which has the largest number of immigrants, should now act swiftly to find a solution to this growing issue. Apart from that, immigration reforms are also required at the federal level. The success of The American Dream Act introduced in the Congress earlier this year would also be of help. It would help in providing citizenship to immigrants who have done two years of higher education or who have two years of military service to their credit.