Success: Immigrant and Transgender Students Granted Financial Aid

Target: J.B. Pritzker, Governor of Illinois

Goal: Praise efforts to provide equal opportunities to students.

Transgender students and immigrants who have entered the country through illegal means will soon be eligible for financial aid. These minorities were previously excluded from receiving the support, unless they signed up for selective services. The requirement prevented countless youths from seeking higher education due to the lengthy application process. The ForceChange advocated to correct this injustice through a previously-published petition.

The bill will take effect January 1, 2020 and enable students to apply for state financial aid, such as the Monetary Assistance Program (MAP) grant. This will alleviate the crisis created by student loan debt, which is now the second highest consumer debt category.

The Retention of Illinois Students and Equity (RISE) Act was developed by State Senator Omar Aquino and Representative Elizabeth Hernandez with the help of students and immigration activists. “Every student, regardless of their immigration status or gender identity, deserves full access to higher education,” said Aquino. “Now that we will provide these students with the means to attend an institution of higher education, we will see a massive return on investment when they graduate and enter the workforce as productive employees.” Sign below to praise the passing of this vital legislation.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Governor Pritzker,

The ability to pursue higher education is something all politicians shall strive to offer to each and every student. According to Forbes Senior Contributor, Zack Friedman, there are more than 44 million borrowers who owe $1.5 trillion as a whole in student loan debt in the U.S.A. The staggering statistics portray the significance of financial aid.

Immigration standing or gender identity should not be deciding factors when applying for student aid. Thank you for signing the RISE Act into law and enabling pupils to seek higher education equally.

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: The Gender Spectrum Collection