We are TheDream.US Alumni, Current Scholars, and staff working together to educate people on why the in-state tuition waiver provides attainable access to a college education.
About Us
Our Mission
Our mission is to educate Floridians about the importance of the 2014 law which provides a fair college education through the Dreamer in-state tuition waiver. Through our stories of success, and data, we hope to demonstrate how this law has helped us contribute positively to the economic richness of our home state of Florida.
Meet Our Leaders
Aquiles
Junior/FIU/Communications
Armando
Graduate/FIU/Business
Maria
Senior/FIU/Mechanical Engineering
Harry
Junior/UCF/Nursing
Britney
Sophomore/Valencia College/Marketing
Bela
Junior/FIU/Psychology
Supporters
TheDream.US and ABIC are providing staff, time, and financial resources to support our education campaign. To learn more about how you can support our work please contact us at TuitionFairness@gmail.com.
Rev. Gabriel Salguero, President of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition
Bill Lucia, President of Bill Lucia Associates LLC
Angie Gallo, ViceChair of the Orange County School Board*
David Sinclair, Presbyterian Homes of Florida
Brendan Ramirez, President of Pan American Behavioral Health Services of Florida
Rev. Dr. Matthew Frease, Ukirk Tallahassee
Lilliam Lopez, President of the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Gloria Romero Roses, Nexus Living LLC
Mileyka Burgos-Flores, Executive Director of the Allapattah Collaborative
Brian Wilson, District Superintendent of the Southern Florida District Church of the Nazarene
Christina Keshishian, Kraetonics LLC
Kelsey Lark, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Maria Salamanca, Orange County School Board Member
Melissa Byrd, Orange County School Board Member
Diane Velasquez, Apopka City Commissioner
Shawn Grosvenor, River Region Church of the Nazarene
Nancy Hernandez, President of Made in Venezuela Business Club
Jorge Figueroa, President of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida
Michael Arrington, President of Provisions, Construction and Development
Rabbi Amy G. Pessah, Temple Beth EL of Boca Raton
Kay Rawlins, President of the Orlando City Soccer Foundation
Jean Perpillant, Design Theory LLC.
Bradley Seldin, The Seldin Law Firm P.A.
Barbara McDade Gordon, Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida
Joel Tooley, Melbourne First Church of the Nazarene
Ariel Sanabria, Soul City Church of Florida
Eli Gutierrez, New Life Church
Michele Scher, B’nai Torah Congregation
Daniel Jaramillo, CEO of Strategic Properties
Teresa Castillo, Osceola County School Board Member
Luisa Santos, Miami-Dade County School Board Member
Dr. Rosa Castro-Feinberg, Former Miami-Dade County School Board Member
Jose Fernandez, President of the Florida Compass Group
Antonio Argiz, Founder of BDO Accounting
Rosa Rivas, Administrator at the University of Miami
Lourdes Leon, President of the Volusia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Jesus Seguias, President of Datincorp
Liz Rebecca Alarcón, President of PULSO
Sami Haiman-Marrero, President of URBANDER
Adelys Ferro, President of the Venezuelan American Caucus
Maria Antonieta Diaz, President of GBS Group
Felice Gorordo, CEO of Emerge Americas
Eloise Gonzalez, President of Commercial Interior Contractor
Aida Levitan, Chairman of the Levitan Group LLC.
Sergio Pino, President of Century HomeBuilders Group
Bob Dickinson, Ex-CEO of Carnival Cruise Line
Al Cardenas, Former Chairman of the Florida Republican Party
Mike Fernandez, CEO of MBF Healthcare
Ryan Pontier, Professor at Florida International University
Validators
Mike Fernandez
CEO and Chairman, MBF Healthcare Partners
“Florida is reeling from labor shortages in the healthcare sector. The Florida Hospital Association this year did a survey finding an alarming nurse turnover rate of 25 percent—and projecting a deficit of nearly 60,000 nurses by 2035. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for nurses in Florida is expected to grow by 21 percent, while 40 percent of nurses will approach retirement age in the next decade. Now more than ever, we need to do everything possible to make sure as many young Floridians go into healthcare as possible. To make it harder rather than easier for ambitious Dreamers to get their healthcare degrees would be profoundly self-destructive for our state going forward.”
Lourdes Leon
President of the Volusia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
“I work with Volusia, Flagler and Seminole County, and I live in Deland, FL which I’ve called home for over 18 years since coming to Florida from Venezuela in 1995. Our area has been in the middle of a major worker shortage in recent years, including a teacher shortage, and I know we’re not alone among Florida counties. Cutting off in-state tuition for ambitious, focused Dreamers would only make this situation worse, setting an even higher bar for them to get degrees in the fields where highly skilled workers are most desperately needed—healthcare, education, engineering, hospitality, tech and more is a bad decision. Please don’t do this, it’s not smart for Florida.”
Aida
Educator and Volunteer with Youth Act Miami Project
“If someone was brought to this country when they were five years old and grew up believing this is their home and thinking, “I want to become a teacher or engineer or journalist here,” it’s really unfair to put up a barrier to that. They should have the opportunity to develop those skills and contribute to the economy.”
Juan
Middle School Teacher
“I always want to show support to the people that want to continue their education and I am all for them to expand their knowledge and to overcome whatever struggles they have. I’m here to help people that do want to pursue that higher education. And keeping in-state tuition would benefit not just the person seeking education but the community and the entire state. These students are already here and they are contributing to our economy so I don’t see any downfall or any negative implications to keeping in-state tuition in Florida. It has been working and it is a huge win-win for the community, the county, the universities and for the very own students.”
Bill Lucia
Managing Director of Bill Lucia and Associates
“Followed by Maine, Florida has the largest percentage of seniors in the country. And now the state is actually considering a bill that would make it harder for motivated young people to attain the degrees necessary to administer, operate and provide healthcare and other services at the residences and facilities statewide that are supposed to meet the needs of this aging population? As someone who works and innovates at the highest levels of healthcare services, limiting opportunities for our youth makes no sense to me whatsoever.”
Sergio Pino
President, Century Homebuilders Group
“These children were brought to Florida, at the average age of four, by parents desperate to save their families from drug cartels, gang violence, sex trafficking and other terrible conditions no human should have to endure. They found a safe haven here and have become an integral part of our communities. These children have attended Florida schools. They have gotten good grades and earned the right to attend our high-quality institutions of higher learning. For years, their parents have paid the same state and local taxes we all pay. They have done all the things we, as a society, ask of each other and are working hard to fulfill all of their responsibilities. They should be commended, not further victimized for political gain.”
Al Cardenas
Former Chairman of the Florida GOP and ABIC Board Member
“As a longtime Florida Republican leader, I’ve always cared about one thing more than anything—our state’s economic growth and competitiveness. Taking in-state tuition rates away from ambitious, hard-working students could stunt our own growth. Florida gains millions in economic growth and tax revenue when these hard working students are allowed to pursue their career goals and reach their potential. In the decade since Governor Rick Scott signed in-state Dreamers rates into law, we’ve seen a huge bump of these students going into our most needed professions: healthcare, education, engineering, hospitality, tourism, tech and the highest levels of agriculture. Let’s not stop that progress.”
Sam Scott
Interim president of the American Business Immigration Coalition
“Treating the children of immigrants just like our own children, by not putting higher education beyond their reach, is morally and economically the right thing to do. We must allow these children to continue pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps. We must allow them to continue competing on a somewhat level playing field and becoming contributing members of our society. Despite the overwhelmingly positive impact immigrants have on our quality of life in Florida, they are consistently subjected to persecution, marginalization and stigmatization. It is time we stop forcing them into the shadows and allow them to live and flourish in the same Florida sunshine and freedom we all enjoy.”
Gallery
