Undocumented students using bill AB540 to bypass the system to obtain citizenship.

For me, the greatest feeling in the world is being a United States citizen. With citizenship there are a lot of advantages, including freedom to worship, freedom of speech, the opportunity to receive a good education and the ability to serve in the military.

With the troubled economic times, college budget cuts and class availability, the issue of being an undocumented student is HUGE!  An undocumented student is able to use a California state program — AB540 — to lower tuition costs for a non-resident student ($173/unit) to resident student ($26/unit). As a result, undocumented students are taking away classroom seats from U.S. citizens. 

Under AB540 undocumented students are not eligible for federal, state or institutional aid.

Chaffey College has a foundation, which awards undocumented students a $300 scholarship each semester for tuition, provided they are enrolled in at least 12 units. The scholarships are in direct violation of the spirit of AB540.

Along with AB540, a new federal program — the Dream Act — is now in front of Congress.

It would allow illegal students who have grown up in the United States to apply for temporary legal status and obtain permanent status. This could be accomplished by serving two years of active duty military service or graduating from a two-year college.

According to the www.opencongress.org website, the Dream Act was introduced in March 2009. An nonline poll on the website shows just 36 percent in favor of the legislation. It appears U.S. citizens are letting their voices be heard.

The undocumented student is one piece of a complex puzzle. In most cases undocumented students are not paying taxes. They are going to emergency rooms for treatment for sickness. Undocumented students are using the above legislation to receive a quality education and circumvent the immigration process.

Undocumented students should not be allowed to serve in the U.S. military to obtain citizenship or use any educational benefit or receive free healthcare.

A United States citizen is not afforded the same benefits when they live abroad as undocumented students or workers do in the United States.  Education is a privilege that belongs to every U.S. citizen and should not be given away to undocumented students.

I am not opposed to any immigrant wanting to go through the proper channels to become a U.S. citizen, but I detest undocumented workers/students illegally taxing our resources.