Over 50,000 undocumented students graduate high school each year. But no clear number can trace how many of those undocumented students go on to attend a university. With immigration being hot on the plate of current presidential campaigns and with many U.S. citizens supporting laws that reduce aid to undocumented individuals, the faith of such undocumented students is far within their control.

UCLA student Fabiola Inzunza is all too familiar with these cries. As co-chair of the Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success (IDEAS) support group at UCLA , she’s witnessed the sacrifices that undocumented students make in order to pursue a higher education. “Low-income undocumented students who have impressive GPA’s must juggle multiple jobs,” she wrote in an article for the California Progress Report Web site (www.californiaprogressreport.com) “they endure long commutes from distant cities because they cannot find affordable housing near their campus and they are forced to turn away research opportunities and private scholarships.”

In order to help those struggling students and to provide a safe and informative space for them, IDEAS at UCLA was created in late 2003. Assembly Bill 540 (AB-540) which was signed into effect in late 2001 by then Governor Gray Davis, allowed for undocumented students to pay in-state tuition as opposed to out-of-state tuition when attending a California public college or university. Almost five years later, IDEAS has awarded scholarships, organized informative workshops and has become a vital resource for undocumented students seeking a higher education.

In an effort to increase the number of undocumented students who attend college and to inform high school students about the programs which work in their favor, IDEAS has organized a day of educational events. "Beginning with the Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference, high school students will learn about important subjects that affect them directly such as the AB-540 law and the DREAM ACT” states Christopher Santos, Biology student at UCLA and Outreach Coordinator for the event. By providing workshops at multiple high schools throughout the greater L.A. area, IDEAS managed to recruit the 200 expected participating students to whom they are offering transportation if they are in need of it.

Immediately following the Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference is the 3rd Annual Making the Dream a Reality fundraising banquet which is at no charge to students. The banquet includes dinner, entertainment by L.A. based band Arepa, student speakers and will feature syndicated columnist Gustavo Arellano as Master of Ceremony. All proceeds of the fundraiser will go towards the Making the Dream a Reality Scholarship Fund which awards undocumented students scholarships to aid them in their academic expenses. “Our goal is to encourage these young students,” states Santos. “This isn’t just for students who know they want to pursue a higher education. This event is also for those who don’t even know they want to attend.” Simply put he states, “Education is possible.”

 For more information visit www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/ideas or RSVP at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

*For those who choose to sponsor the event, the sponsorship fee is tax-deductible. Any other donations are welcomed.