Posted on 06/13/2005 9:01:56 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
STOCKTON -- Gretel Quintero looks forward to studying political science at the University of California, Davis, next year -- if she can pay for it.
Quintero illegally immigrated to Stockton from Sinaloa, Mexico, at age 13. She graduated this year from Franklin High School with a 4.8 grade point average. So far, she has received about $2,700 from scholarships, but her immigration status makes her ineligible for federal aid. It also keeps her from getting a regular job.
She isn't alone. High school counselors and education experts say hundreds -- if not thousands -- of California students find themselves in a similar place every year.
"I feel stressed and too much pressure on me," said Quintero, who would be the first person in her family to attend college. "The time I have is really short, and I really need to work and get some money."
School starts in September. Quintero, who is in the process of becoming a legal U.S. resident, said she'll attend San Joaquin Delta College if she doesn't come up with the money for UC Davis but hopes it doesn't come to that.
"The only thing she can do "The only thing she can do right now is find scholarships," said Laura Aguayo, an adviser for the San Joaquin County Office of Education's migrant education program.
Whether illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend U.S. colleges and universities -- and receive federal funding to do so -- continues to be debated among legislators.
According to the Texas House Research Organization, not helping students attend college costs states and contributes to an uneducated work force.
Opponents of paying for illegal immigrants' college educations fear that such a move could take money from U.S. citizens and legal immigrants.
"These are finite resources, and there needs to be criteria" to determine who is eligible for financial aid, said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit that opposes illegal immigration. It's not unreasonable to limit the funding to people in the country legally, he said.
"If we give the resources to her, you're going to be denying it from someone else," Mehlman said.
Meanwhile, Quintero cleans houses and does yard work about eight hours a week for some of her former Franklin High School teachers. She wants to work more but can't get a job at most places because she doesn't have a Social Security number.
"I'm trying to get jobs, but they all ask for my social security number, and I don't have one," Quintero, 17, said.
Tuition fees for the 2005-06 academic year at UC Davis cost $7,459.
The university estimates total expenses for a student who lives on-campus will be $21,758. First-year UC Davis students typically live on campus.
Quintero has been in the process of getting her residency for a year, but it could take at least another six months, she said.
"I really want to study. It doesn't feel good that I got accepted and can't go because of money," said Quintero, who wants to go to college instead of working as a farm laborer like her mother and stepfather.
"She's the kind of person that whatever bad things are happening to her, she always has a smile on her face," Aguayo said. "She is grateful for whatever she gets."
States are required to provide K-12 public education as a result of a 1982 Supreme Court decision.
But that decision doesn't affect colleges and universities.
Quintero said she's still looking toward her future. She wants to be an immigration attorney. Aguayo thinks she'll get there.
"She gets what she wants," Aguayo said. "She's determined. She fights for stuff."
After reading this article, I think we shouldn't hold it against her that she is here illegally. We should pay for her university education. < /msm programming >
She sounds like an excellent candidate for the Universidad de Mexico City.
Owl_Eagle(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
Why is it that liberals think it's ok for illegal aliens to break the law, but not ok for the rest of us? If I work really hard, can I rob banks and not go to jail? How many hours do I have to work in a field each day before it becomes ok for me to stab somebody? Or does hard work just make some lawbreaking ok?
Being a criminal tends to do that.
Since I have a hard time paying for my own kid's college education........exactly WHY am I supposed to feel concerned that AN ILLEGAL is having problems paying for school.........GIVE ME A BREAK!
She's ILLEGAL! It shouldn't even be an issue because she needs deported.
Lets' see...she's in the USA illegally. She's attended US schools for 4-5 years at no cost to her. She can't get a federal grant or loan because of her "illegal" immigration status. She can't get a job because of her "illegal" immigration status. Is college just something for her to pass the time? By her own admission a college degree will not help her secure a job in the US. Degreed lettuce pickers do not require a college education. See the illegal freeloader home now!
Don't Universities have some sort of poicy on Criminal behaviour. since she is ILLEGAL. doesn't that immediately disqualify her from attending most colleges.
Exactly........Deport her and then her problems will be solved. Her home country will no doubt pay her way through the school of her choice.
Isn't it amazing the the INS and the rest of our stalwart gov. employees can never locate illegals but every two bit liberal reporter can locate tons of them!!!
Just here to get the educational dollars that many US citizen can't get.
CRIMINAL status a roadblock to college
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
No kidding! This sort of story frosts me. My daughter wants to go to a California school too. We're considered "rich" so no help whatsoever, and we have to pay out-of-state tuition while the illegals don't. Their tuition is already being footed by the California taxpayers and they're whining the feds aren't kicking in too?
Not only that but this "poor illegal" wants to take poly sci so she can play Robin Hood and rook folk out of even more of their own money? (she sure doesn't sound like a conservative). Do we have a shortage of poly sci majors that we need to foot the bill for them? I don't think so.
Oh, please - shut the hell up!
I'm sure many fo us have stories about what we did to help pay for College. One summer, I shoveled snap beans off a truck and scraped and painted propabe tanks. Add that to taking classes and it was a busy day.
I feel no, NONE, ZERO empathy for this person.
Sorry for the rude remark in my post, if you need to pull the post, I understand. I'm just tired of hearing this sort of whining from illegal immigrants...
ping
Oh Geez! What's the matter with you? That makes way too much sense.
......;^)
There's no uncertainty in my mind. The answer is NOT.
"According to the Texas House Research Organization, not helping students attend college costs states and contributes to an uneducated work force."
I've got no significant problem with spending tax dollars to pay for the education of US CITIZENS and LEGAL IMMIGRANTS who qualify academically. The rest should not only not have their education funded--=they should be rounded up and sent back to their home country.
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