All You Have to Do Is DREAM

The DREAM Act, like Godwin Liu, may have failed at the federal level, but that doesn't mean it won't find a willing audience in California. State lawmakers have just passed part two of a law that will allow illegal aliens to obtain college grants, regardless of their immigration status.

The college dreams of thousands of students who are illegal immigrants moved closer to fulfillment Wednesday after the state Senate approved a bill that for the first time would give them access to public financial aid.

Part of a two-bill package known as the California Dream Act, the measure would allow undocumented students who qualify for reduced in-state tuition to apply for Cal Grants, community college waivers and other public aid programs. To be eligible, they must be California high school graduates who attended schools in the state at least three years, and demonstrate financial need and academic merit.

Back in my college days, these sort of grants simply weren't available to regular middle class people, but apparently it's roll-out-the-carpet time if you have absolutely no legal right to be in the United States. My memory of financial aid planning was that you had to fill out some federal forms and give your social security number, among other things. Will the California DREAM Act also provide undocumented kids with fake SSN's?

The linked article quotes a couple of kids who say they have to work at the classic "two jobs to make ends meet" as if that is some unique experience. The fact is that they would probably have to work those jobs anyway, given how much college costs thanks to this sort of meddling. By the way, one of things that Everybody Knows in California is that classes, especially in community college, are packed to the gills in the first week - and then empty out as soon as everyone gets their grant money. You see, you don't have to pay back the grants so once people get their money, they're outta there.

The DREAM Act is almost a perfect storm of progressive governance: undermine immigration laws? Check. Dumping more money into higher education? Check. Reckless social engineering? Check. Disregard for cost? Can I hear a "Check?" Sadly, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of popular outrage against this sort of thing.