Murphy Signs Bill Into Law To Give DREAMers Financial Aid Boost

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill into law on Wednesday that's supposed to give a boost to student financial aid to immigrants (see video below).

Murphy, joined by immigrant youth, educators, allied organizations, advocates and legislators at the Rutgers Newark campus, signed a bill into law that will grant eligible undocumented students access to state financial aid.

Murphy said the legislation will help blunt the Trump administration's efforts to push DREAMers out of the country. "We will fight tooth and nail" to prevent that from happening, he said.

The bill was passed by the Senate 27-10 and the Assembly by a 49-24 vote.

"We can't allow the Trump administration and its enablers to cast aspersions on our DREAMers," he said. "We in New Jersey know better."

Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-Morris, ripped Murphy’s legislation that he said extends financial aid to "illegal immigrants."

“This new law is fundamentally wrong for our citizens and taxpayers," he said. "In the Assembly and now, I stand in defense of a basic belief: that citizens of the United States should be treated as well or better than non-citizens who happen to be in our country."

"Unfortunately, the state’s Democrats disagree, and are giving individuals here illegally state tuition grants that are not available to, for example, a United States citizen who defended our nation in the Armed Forces," he added. "The Democrats also are taking that financial aid away from New Jersey citizens to give that aid to non-citizens, and our citizens certainly see no fairness in that takeaway."

Webber said “the financial aid to students could cost taxpayers $13 million more in spending "at the same time that Governor Murphy claims that New Jersey needs $1.7 billion more in tax hikes."

"This is ample proof again that our taxpayers and citizens are the lowest priority in Governor Murphy’s pecking order,” he said.

Murphy said the legislation essentially these New Jersey students to apply for state financial aid assistance. New Jersey now becomes the ninth state in the nation to make both tuition and financial aid available to DREAMers.

“Tuition equity and equal access to financial aid are moral standards that we as public officials must uphold for all New Jersey students, whether they were born here or not,” said Murphy. “These young people came to this country as children, were educated in our schools, and are just as American as anyone else. I’m proud to sign this legislation to help these students achieve their educational goals and their pursuit of a successful future.”

Ex-Gov. Chris Christie conditionally vetoed a tuition and financial aid equality bill in 2013 and removed the state financial aid sections, while keeping the parts of the bill that established in-state tuition.

The legislation, S-699 allows a student who meets the requirements established under the in-state tuition law signed in 2013 to qualify for and participate in any student financial aid program administered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) or the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE).

These requirements include:

• Attending high school in New Jersey for three or more years;
• Graduating from a New Jersey high school or receiving the equivalent of a high school diploma;
• Registering or enrolling in a public institution of higher education no earlier than the 2013-2014 academic year;
• Filing an affidavit stating that the student has filed an application to legalize his immigration status.

In addition to New Jersey, California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, New Mexico and Hawaii also make in-state tuition and financial aid available to DREAMers.

Sponsors of the legislation include: Senators M. Teresa Ruiz, Sandra B. Cunningham and Nellie Pou as well as Assembly Members Gary S. Schaer, Annette Quijano and Mila M. Jasey.

DREAMers can apply for financial aid at: www.hesaa.org/njalternativeapp...

Here is where you can watch it:

YouTube photo/video