ALBANY, NY – Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris and the Senate Majority Conference on January 23 passed the New York State DREAM Act (S.1250). This legislation will allow undocumented children, who are already students in New York State, the ability to qualify for state aid for higher education, create a Dream Fund for college scholarship opportunities and remove barriers that prevent undocumented families from college saving programs. Allowing undocumented youths to access financial assistance will enable them to earn degrees, access highly skilled employment and support their local economies across New York State.

Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris said, “As a child of immigrants, I know firsthand how the contributions of immigrant families enrich our communities. Passing the DREAM Act commits New York to delivering on the promise of a better life to another generation. The new New York Senate is fighting for our immigrant neighbors and will not deny anyone the opportunity to succeed.”

The DREAM Act will:

Create a DREAM fund commission and a DREAM fund in order to advance the educational opportunities of the children of immigrants by providing scholarships to college bound students.

Eliminate potential financial obstacles to obtaining State financial aid and extends the opportunities for undocumented students to attend higher education institutions.

Eliminate barriers for immigrant aliens to save for their families higher education expenses by allowing such individuals to open a New York State 529 family tuition account under the New York State College Tuition Savings Program and/or be a designated beneficiary on an account if they have a taxpayer identification number.

Video of Senator Gianaris’ floor speech on the DREAM Act is available here: https://youtu.be/YGyrhLAns1c.