Democratic Assemblyman Gil Cedillo pushed the DREAM Act through the legislature before, but former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it. Cedillo is having better luck with Governor Brown:
Brown: "There's a dream, and that dream is fulfilled by the human imagination - nurtured in schools, but also nurtured in neighborhoods and among friends. That's what it's all about. So Gil, come up here and stand next to me as I sign this bill, and get on with it!"
Brown then placed the measure on Cedillo's back and signed it.
Critics include Republican Senator Sharon Runner, who says scholarships funded by private donations will still cost the state money to administer - leaving less money for California citizens.
The second, more controversial part of the DREAM Act is still in the legislature. It would make undocumented students eligible for financial aid at California's public colleges and universities.
