SACRAMENTO, CA - Undocumented college students can begin receiving publicly-funded financial aid beginning in 2013.
The non-partisan Legislative Analyst now pegs the cost to taxpayers at $65 million a year when fully implemented -- nearly three times more than the original low-end estimate. It's difficult to pinpoint an actual number because UC and CSU tuition keep rising.
"This legislation essentially says to these students the taxpayers will cover your tuition. So if the tuition goes up, the taxpayer cost goes up," said Steve Boilard with the Legislative Analyst's Office.
Rhe report also found the Dream Act, passed through the Legislature as AB 131 this fall, will hurt legal students getting a grant called "institutional aid."
"It could be that everybody's grant will go down a little because you're trying to spread a fixed pot of money across more students," Boilard said.
Aides for Assem. now state Sen. Gil Cedillo, who pushed through the Dream Act, say the costs are minimal and that they were upfront about the effects on legal students. They point out undocumented students who qualify for in-state tuition are paying into the financial aid pot with their fees.
"For us, it was an equity issue," said Cedillo's' Chief-of-Staff Dan Savage. "If they're going to pay into it as a students, then they should benefit from it by being able to receive institutional aid."
Dream Act opponents have been trying to repeal AB131 through the referendum process which allows them to ask voters whether California should keep the law. The Stop AB131 movement has just about a month left to gather 505,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot. The group believes the new report will help them get there.
Referendum coordinator Rigo Avelar thinks that $65 million a year could help other areas hurt by budget cuts.
"All these programs that got decimated, they could sure use that money there ... as opposed to giving it away!" said Avelar. "People are at the point where, 'No, we don't have to take it anymore.'"
Nannette Miranda
ABC7
ABC7