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[email protected]. THE IMPACT OF CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT ON UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT EXPERIENCES A Thesis Presented to the faculty of Graduate and Professional Studies in Education California State University, Sacramento Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in Education (Higher Education Leadership) by Hong Thanh Dao SPRING 2016 © 2016 Hong Thanh Dao ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii THE IMPACT OF CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT ON UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT EXPERIENCES A Thesis by Hong Thanh Dao Approved by: __________________________________, Committee Chair Virginia L. Dixon, Ed.D. __________________________________, Second Reader Viridiana Diaz, Ed.D. Date iii Student: Hong Thanh Dao I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format manual, and that this thesis is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for the thesis. , Graduate Coordinator Geni Cowan, Ph.D. Date Graduate and Professional Studies in Education iv Abstract of THE IMPACT OF CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT ON UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT EXPERIENCES by Hong Thanh Dao Brief Literature Review Undocumented students make up one of the most underserved minority groups in higher education. Some federal legislation hinders undocumented students from pursuing higher education due to their immigration status. However, many states are creating their own policies to make postsecondary education more accessible and affordable for undocumented students. The California DREAM Act has positively changed the lives of many undocumented students, as it provided financial resources to students in the pursuit of higher education.