“Texas has set ambitious statewide goals for increasing the number of its residents who are college educated to include increasing the number of individuals enrolled in higher education by 630,000 over current enrollments by 2015,” he says. “Given the demographics of the state, it is safe to say that their goals must include strategies to serve undocumented students.”

Of the 393 undocumented students who were attending public colleges in Texas in fall of 2001, 300 were enrolled in community colleges, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. By fall 2004, there were 3,792 undocumented students, 75 percent of whom were attending community college.

College counselors say that white-collar job prospects for the undocumented immigrant college graduates who are unable to seek legal residency or apply for work permits are limited. Entry-level professional and corporate jobs for college graduates typically exclude those who don’t have valid social security numbers, which is the case for unauthorized immigrants. “I tell (the undocumented) students they’ll be better off in the long run with a degree,” says Santiago Bernal, the assistant director of the University of California, Los Angeles’ Center for Community College Partnerships. Bernal adds that among the undocumented students he counsels the DREAM Act has been a source of hope for them.

In states that have already approved in-state tuition for undocumented students, the DREAM Act could provide a route towards legal employment after graduation.

“For states like those, DREAM is extremely important because they can really benefit from the investment that they’ve made if the legislation is passed,” Lazarin says. “It should mean a lot for states like Texas and California.”