Why we support the Texas DREAM

Fourteen years ago, Texas enacted the DREAM Act (HB 1403), recognizing that the chance to succeed applies to all who live within this great state.

Now there is a movement to modify or do away with it. The simple fact is, without the Texas DREAM Act, the dream of a college education will be destroyed for the children of undocumented workers in Texas.

Passed with bipartisan support and signed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2001, HB 1403 allows all graduating Texas high school students, regardless of immigration status, to be eligible for in-state resident tuition.

But the act faces threats of repeal, with critics claiming that it provides an “unfair advantage” to immigrant students and “lures immigrants to the border.”

Repeal of Texas’ DREAM Act would be tremendously shortsighted.

We would be severely limiting these students’ future as members of the Texas workforce. Since 2001, more than 24,000 students have benefited from in-state tuition thanks to HB 1403.

These students simply want to give back to this state and the country they call home by working hard, getting a college education and becoming productive members of our society.

What good does it do to limit their educational opportunities?

These are students whose families came here because of Texas’ strong economy; the children made no illegal choice of their own.

The Texas DREAM Act has strict rules for students to qualify for in-state tuition. They must have attended a Texas high school for a minimum of three years and graduated, and they must have applied for legal residency status.

This is no unfair advantage; outside of pursuing legal residency, these are the exact same requirements for any Texas student to be eligible for in-state tuition.

College is expensive. Looking at one example of a medium-priced institution, Texas State University, tuition and fees for a nine-month period (two semesters) is around $9,500. The out-of-state tuition is more than double, $20,360.

For many immigrant families the choice is very simple. While there might be a chance at in-state rates, there is no chance at the out-of-state rate.

It is not the spirit of Texas to punish hardworking students or their parents. We must take every step to ensure that our economy thrives and our workforce remains strong.

When Texas approved the DREAM Act, we all recognized that these students represent a part of our future workforce.

While many things have changed between 2001 and 2015, that fact has not and will not change.

The Texas DREAM Act helps our economy grow, makes our workforce competitive and gives us safer communities.

Keeping the Texas DREAM Act is the right thing to do for these children and for Texas.

Repealing it would be a true tragedy for our state, our nation and for the American dream.

Bill Hammond is CEO of the Texas Association of Business.

This story was originally published February 23, 2015 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Why we support the Texas DREAM."