The Immigration in the Heartland conference has brought immigration issues to OU’s doorstep this week. But members of the OU community shouldn’t just glance over coverage of the conference or listen half-heartedly at the panel discussion. We should take this opportunity to think about how immigration issues most affect us in a setting of higher education.

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate on March 26. The House of Representatives version, the American Dream Act, was introduced the same day.

According to the National Immigration Law Center, “Under the DREAM Act, most students with good moral character who came to the U.S. at age 15 or younger at least five years before the date of the bill’s enactment would qualify for conditional permanent resident status upon acceptance to college, graduation from a U.S. high school, or being awarded a GED in the U.S.”

States are currently discouraged from granting in-state tuition or other benefits without regard to resident status. Oklahoma is one of 10 states that has gotten around this federal roadblock and grants in-state tuition to any student who has graduated high school in the state, regardless of resident status.

But the cost of higher education isn’t cheap. If one were to pay for OU out-of-pocket, the total cost would be around $16,000 per year, according to OU’s Web site. While the DREAM Act would not make students with illegal resident status eligible for Pell Grants or federal financial aid, it would allow for federal work study and student loans.

The DREAM Act would provide much needed assistance to students with illegal residency status. The act would especially help students who did not choose to enter the country, but who were brought here illegally as children. These students should not have to suffer high, out-of-pocket costs and deportation risks to gain an education.

Oklahoma lawmakers should push for the DREAM Act to be passed at the national level. The state is already more lenient regarding in-state tuition and our representatives at the national level should reflect this mentality. There also is bipartisan support for the act, which should make it easier for our representatives to reflect our will rather than party politics.

If our state and national government are going to tout the image of equal opportunity, we must make sure we follow through on that promise. Education is the foundation for most opportunities, so we must make sure equal access is granted to higher education.