Equal Access to Education
Approximately 360,000 Korean Americans are under the age of 18. It is estimated that 1 out of 5 Korean Americans are undocumented.
Like other students from low-income households, undocumented students must juggle working extra jobs to help out their families and to finance their schooling. But college-bound undocumented students have an additional hurdle: they are ineligible to receive Federal financial aid, such as Pell grants and loans, nor state benefits such as a Cal Grant award.
Ten states have passed laws permitting eligible undocumented students to pay the same tuition as their classmates at public colleges and universities. California's in-state tuition law, AB540, passed in 2001. Unfortunately, since enactment, some colleges have wrongly denied in-state tuition benefits to hundreds of qualifying students.
- DREAM Act is a federal legislation that would allow undocumented students to go to college and obtain a temporary status so that they may exceed in school and give back to society.
- AB 540 is California's state legislation that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition when attending a public college.
How can I get involved?
- Learn more about the DREAM Act, federal legislation that if passed would open up a path to legalization for eligible undocumented students via college attendance or military service. For more information and to sign a petition, visit www.krcla.org/dream.
- Join ORAnGE (Organize, Rise Up, Act, ‘N Get Empowered), KRC's Korean American youth group that works for the passage of the DREAM Act and social justice by educating and organizing the community. ORAnGE meets every Wednesday at 5:30 pm at the Korean Resource Center (KRC).
- Volunteer at KRC.
