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| Majority Leader, Rodney Tom from Bellevue |
HB 1817, The Washington Dream Act passes the House with a historic 77-20 votes in favor.
Now, it's up to the Senate.
Contact Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom to bring it up for a vote.
phone: (360) 786-7694
Via Facebook
by email
2/18/13 Original post
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| Bellevue Dreamer, Luis Morales |
We already know that the rising cost of tuition is a pain in the rear for WA students with affluent families and a debt sentence for those who go the route of student loans.
Even those who get state aid still struggle. We don't know when tuition hikes will stop, but we know one thing for sure: tuition hikes are a tall wall that not everyone can climb.
For many, high tuition is not a deal-breaker. For Luis Morales from Bellevue, it is.
Luis' life goal is to go to school. Currently battling treatment, he already survived Leukemia 3 times.
“My dream is to study business and eventually have my own business so I can help my parents. I spend hours everyday looking at scholarships that I qualify for. The sad part is when I look at the applications. I notice that I am more than qualified at every level except when they ask for my status. That’s what really gets me down.” ~Luis Morales
Dreamers currently receive in-state tuition, but are barred from state financial assistance even though they and their parents contribute to the state general fund via the sales tax.
“I graduated from Sammamish High School with a 3.00 GPA and an award for having the most community service hours. I was eager to be a part of my community even after I fell behind my classmates during treatment. That year, I had a cerebral thrombosis because of treatment medication. I had the hope that if I tried hard enough I would end up in college, like a promise or something.” ~Luis Morales
Currently, Senator Rodney Tom is the Senate Majority Coalition leader representing Luis’ district and also sits on the committee for higher education. Tom has not yet co-sponsored.
“Today, I am working against doctors' orders to save for school. I have seen my friends go to college. We go out every now and then. They want to help me, but tuition is already high enough for them. For me it is impossible to pay for community college without the Washington State Dream Act. I am hopeful, because I know that Senator Tom will vote with me in mind.”
Let’s make sure Luis has a chance at fulfilling his life dream.