The DREAM Act Clarified

Since December 2010, the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act has served to provide temporary and potentially permanent legal status to immigrant children, as well as allow them to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. To qualify for these benefits, a minor must:

·         Have entered the US before ages 15 or 16

·         Have lived in the US for five years or more

·         NOT have been convicted of a serious crime

Meeting these requirements allows a minor to obtain conditional residency. After that, they must spend two years in college or the military. Meeting all of these requirements allows the minor to achieve permanent resident status and apply for federal student loans and work-study programs. They are ineligible for Federal grants such as the Pell Grant.  

Need a lawyer to help you with DREAM? Contact the Santa Barbara County Bar Association