Montgomery College Board of Trustees Endorses Maryland Dream Act // READ RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF "VOTE FOR"

Casa de Maryland today announced that the Montgomery College Board of Trustees has passed a resolution supporting the Maryland Dream Act. Below you can read a full copy of the resolution and a letter explaining the Board's action. I've excerpted a few pertinent parts from the letter, which summarize the Dream Act provisions they endorse, as well as their rationale:

MONTGOMERY COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES: The Dream Act provides to undocumented students local in-state rates for tuition in Maryland community colleges (and four-year colleges with additional requirements), provided that the students can show attendance in a Maryland high school for at least three years, that their parents filed tax returns in Maryland during periods between attendance in high school and attendance at community college and that the students commit to legalizing status as soon as they are eligible. It is a confirmation and a slightly modified extension of a long observed policy of Montgomery College that granted all graduates of Montgomery County high schools local instate tuition rates....

There are many reasons for support of the Dream Act. The Act benefits both the students and the community by providing a valuable, better educated workforce, encouraging not only high school graduation but enabling higher education at a tuition cost that is affordable and otherwise, without this Act, out of reach for most of these students. It leverages the public investment already made in these students in the K-12 school system. Further, it is not a scholarship program and, according to an independent expert economist engaged by the College, Dr. David Breneman, the relatively few students involved do not cost substantial additional overhead and actually contribute tuition that would not be otherwise paid if they were assessed at the highest out-of-state rate. Accordingly, as expressed by Dr. Breneman, “…far from imposing additional taxes on Maryland and Montgomery County taxpayers, the Policy [essentially, the Dream Act] actually saves the taxpayers a great deal of money each year.”

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, as a public institution committed to access and education for all, the Dream Act is the “right thing to do” for the College

Montgomery College Board of Trustees Passes Resolution in Support of MD Dream Act