UNITED STATES-EDUCATION-Plans to expand college aid for Caribbean immigrant youth

NEW YORK, CMC – A New York state legislature is seeking to expand college aid for young people from the Caribbean and other countries. The State’s Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has joined with his counterpart, Francisco Moya, and the State’s Higher Education Committee Chair, Deborah J. Glick, in introducing the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. The bill, if it becomes law, would provide educational support for tens of thousands Caribbean and other immigrant youth. The provision would, for the first time, permit immigrant students to apply for state financial aid, as well as create a DREAM Fund that would provide private scholarships. “Our immigrant families, like many struggling in these trying economic times, need financial help to achieve their educational goals.As a child of immigrants, I know that investing in these inspiring students represents an investment in our future” he said.