PRESS RELEASE: SEN. FAVOLA SPEAKS AGAINST ANTI-DACA BILL, DEFEATED 20-19 ON SENATE FLOOR Richmond, VA- Today, Sen. Barbara Favola spoke in opposition to Sen. Black’s bill (SB 722) eliminating in-state tuition eligibility for DACA-receiving students. The bill was defeated 20-19, with one Republican joining the Democrats in voting against it. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program allows undocumented students who meet certain requirements to work and educate themselves without fear of deportation. Sen. Black’s bill will prevent DACA recipients from obtaining in-state tuition, which is often the only way these students are able to afford higher education. Sen. Favola: “I as a Virginian, and I would ask that all of us as Virginians, would want to have students of that caliber who are willing to contribute to our economy, to improve their own lives, and to actually make us stronger, and make us a better community. We want them. We need them. They are part of us. We should allow them to be going on to college. I think the point here is, they’re not a drain on our economy. They’re a plus to our economy.” DACA recipients must meet the same in-state tuition requirements as other students. Virginia provides access to in-state tuition for most non-citizens lawfully present in the U.S., such as those seeking asylum and green card holders. While enrollment in Virginian 4-year institutions has grown by 28,000, DACA recipients constitute only 0.3% of that increase. There are currently less than 1 in 1,000 DACA-approved students enrolled in university. Virginian college graduates earn about twice as much as those without college degrees. The lifetime earnings of college graduates or college attendants greatly exceeds those with only a high school degree. The Commonwealth Institute estimates the DACA allowance would increase lifetime earnings of DACA recipients by $27 to $103 million, providing a boost to local economies. Click here to Reply, Reply to all, or Forward
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 22:08:39 +0000
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