By Bethany peterson/editor-in-chief

The government subsidizes college education through state schools and financial aid because it believes education leads to higher-paying jobs, a stronger national economy and a more stable country.

But for this plan to work, the degree holders must be able to legally work.

This is the dilemma with the current undocumented college student situation.

Some government policies encourage undocumented students to seek a degree.

Texas and 12 other states allow undocumented students who have earned a high school diploma or GED from a state institution and lived in the state for three or more years to pay in-state tuition at public colleges, significantly reducing their college cost.

An executive order to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency specifically put long-term residents seeking a degree on the backburner for deportation investigations.

California took it a step further.

The state has passed a law allowing undocumented students access to privately funded scholarships and grants.

The state assembly also passed a separate bill, which was signed into law over the weekend by Gov. Jerry Brown, allowing undocumented students state-funded, need-passed financial aid such as the CalGrants on equal footing with legal immigrants and U.S. citizens.

These federal and state policies encourage undocumented students to get degrees and dream of opportunity.

But it is a cruel ruse.

Once undocumented students leave college, the same government will not allow them to legally use their degree in the U.S. because hiring an undocumented person is illegal.

The Dream Act, which would allow those in college to gain legal status, has been tied up for years.

I’m not arguing for or against undocumented students getting an education. I’m saying the government needs to figure out what it’s doing.

The policies should either allow undocumented people to earn a degree and work legally or prohibit them from it all together.

This open-shut, give-take policy is mean, costs money and gets the U.S. no closer to its economic goal.