Sign our petition seeking that Baltimore County Public School (BCPS) share resources for undocumented students on its website. 

One of Baltimore County Public Schools’ core values is: “doing whatever it takes to ensure that every student learns and succeeds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency, or disability.”

The Issue

The Maryland Dream Act is a State law that allows eligible Dreamers (DACA-recipient and undocumented students) to receive in-state tuition rates at Maryland community colleges and public universities, provided that: 

• Their parents have filed Maryland Tax Returns for at least 3 years prior to entering
• They have graduated from a Maryland High School 

The Problem

Dreamers (DACA-recipient and undocumented students) can apply and attend any college in the U.S. except in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. In other words, Maryland students do not need a social security number to apply or attend college. 

Unfortunately, Dreamers (DACA-recipient and undocumented students) are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) which often makes college unaffordable and out of reach for them. What’s worse, without the right guidance, they may also be forced to pay out-of-state tuition rates, making their tuition up to three (3) times more expensive. 

The Solution is the Maryland Dream Act

Chapter 191 of 2011, known as the Dream Act, was petitioned to referendum and approved by Maryland voters in November 2012.

The Maryland Dream Act is a Maryland State law that allows eligible, tax-filing Maryland undocumented students (or their guardians), who have graduated from a Maryland High School (or earn the state equivalent), to lower their tuition rate from Out-of-State to In-County or In-State.

This law creates inclusion and access to eligible Dreamers and can help them save thousands of dollars annually on tuition. Furthermore, the Maryland Dream Act makes college more inclusive and accessible for our BCPS students. 

Estimated Annual Tuition at Community College of Baltimore County (Full-Time/30 credits a year)

In-County (BCPS student)    $5,020
Out-of-County                       $8,590
Out-of-State                          $12,520

What we are asking?

We are asking BCPS to post information about the Maryland Dream Act on the district website and each BCPS high school website. 

We ask BCPS to include:

The benefits of the Maryland Dream Act
The eligibility requirements
User-friendly and accessible information in multiple languages

There are undocumented students and parents in Baltimore County that desperately need to know this information. Therefore, BCPS has a duty to make this Maryland Law and its benefits widely known and accessible, especially in light of the fact that it is one of BCPS’ own core values to do whatever it takes to ensure that all students succeed. 

Including the Maryland Dream Act on the BCPS district and high school websites will contribute to that core value, and ensure that many more students are afforded the opportunity to attend college, making the dream of so many Dreamers come true! 

Please sign our petition and share it with others. It's an easy solution to such an important problem.