Essay Sample on Financing College Education

Introduction

The passage of the financial aid bill that enables DACA students to access the state's kitty in financing their college education was a landmark development in so far as the status of children of undocumented immigrants is concerned in New Jersey. One of the leading proponents of the bill was Teresa Ruiz. Others are Assemblyman Gary Schaer, the primary sponsor of the law, and Sandra B. Cummingham (Stiesi; Solis). The two have severally argued that the immigrants contribute to the development of New Jersey and, therefore, their children should be given access to financial aid.

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Donors/Influential Figures

One of the key donors/organizations that campaigned for the enactment of the law is Make the Road New Jersey, a non-governmental organization that defends the rights of immigrants in the state of New Jersey. Regarding the passage of the financial aid bill, the organization used various strategies to ensure that the bill got all the support it needed to sail through in the state's legislature. Influential figures in the organization include Erika Martinez, the youth leader wing, and Nedia Morsy, the lead organizer (Populardemocracy). For this reason, approaching these organizations and their leaders can play a critical role in pushing for the legislature to act and pass the necessary legislation to meet the health needs of DACA residents.

Plan

The first step in ensuring that the law granting DACA recipients the right to enjoy public health insurance programs is to book an appointment and approach the legislators that have shown the willingness to defend the of immigrants such as DACA recipients. Senators Teresa Ruiz and Sandra B. Cummingham will be contacted with the proposal. The visit will also include Assemblyman Gary Schaer. Senator Ruiz has been vocal in this effort for a decade before it was finally passed. For instance, she campaigned for immigrants to become leaders of schools in the state as a way of making the climate favorable for immigrants. She also introduced the bill twice in the state's Senate (Populardemocracy; Stiesi). Schaer introduced the financial bill, and Cummingham campaigned alongside Ruiz. The visit will involve explaining the legislators the need to allow DACA access public health insurance programs as they did for the case of student aid. It is expected that they would provide the necessary guidance on the bill be tabled in the legislature for debate.

The second step is to visit the governor and share some of the health issues facing DACA recipients and also explain to him of the intention as well as share the proposal. The meeting will also include an explanation that the proposer of the bill has sought the backing of pro-DACA recipients' rights legislators. Here, a formal request will be made to the governor for support in ensuring the bill is prepared and presented for debate. Governor Phil Murphy has been a fierce supporter of immigrant rights, which culminated into the signing of the financial aid bill into law (Populardemocracy; Arco). Therefore, a lot of support can be expected from him.

After reaching the leaders of the state, the subsequent move is to engage Make the Road New Jersey and share with the leaders the proposal and its intentions. This organization was influential in the passing of the financial aid bill a year ago. The group organized a Thanksgiving week hunger strike, engaged in civil disobedience, and mobilized a thousand people across the state who participated in rallies and sit-ins (Populardemocracy). For this reason, the visit will engage Morsy, Martinez and other senior leaders regarding the mass action activities that would create awareness about the challenges DACA recipients are facing and the need to address them. Sources for funding of these activities will also be discussed, and best guidelines on how to approach the issue explored. In collaboration with this organization, I expect to put pressure on the leaders before debate takes place in the state legislature to preempt any attempts to scuttle any efforts that may undermine the work of Ruiz, Schaer, and Cummingham, among other pro-immigrant legislators.

Works Cited

Arco, Matt. "Phil Murphy Signs Bill to Let Unauthorized Immigrants Get College Financial Aid." Nj.com, 9 May 2018, www.nj.com/politics/2018/05/immigration_status_will_no_longer_preclude_college.html

Populardemocracy. "Thousands of Young Immigrants Gain Equal Access to Financial Aid." The Center for Popular Democracy, 2018, populardemocracy.org/blog/thousands-young-immigrants-gain-equal-access-financial-aid.

Solis, Steph. "NJ Senate Passes Financial Aid Bill for Unauthorized Immigrant Students." Asbury Park Press, 2018, www.app.com/story/news/politics/capitolquickies/2018/03/26/nj-senate-could-vote-financial-aid-unauthorized-immigrant-students/457597002/.

Stiesi, Ryan. "Undocumented Student Financial Aid Bill Makes It Onto Murphy's Desk." The Daily Targum, 2018, www.dailytargum.com/article/2018/04/undocumented-student-financial-aid-bill-makes-it-onto-murphys-desk.