Daring to DREAM: Rhode Island Opens Higher Ed Door to Immigrant Students
Rhode Island's state higher education board took a big step Monday toward opening the doors of higher education to undocumented students, according to this story by the Associated Press.
The DREAM Act is a long way from reality, and so far there's no federal initiative that's been approved to solve the question of what to do with undocumented students. Federal law requires they be provided equitable public education opportunities through the 12th grade. After that, they're on their own.
There are plenty of states wrangling with the same issue as Rhode Island: What to do with students who graduate from local high schools only to face barriers because of their immigration status. In some cases students can enroll, but only at the (significantly) higher out-of-state tuition rate.
What's interesting about this particular instance, as AP reporter Erika Niedowski explains, is that Rhode Island's
