OAKLAND, Calif. – Colleges and universities across the country are increasingly catering to illegal immigrants with special centers, state financial aid and a bevy of other services.

Today, University of California President Janet Napolitano is hosting a two-day national conference on how schools can help illegal immigrants obtain an advanced degree. The get-together comes after Napolitano has worked to fund welcome centers for immigrants in the UC system, and earmarked $750,000 to help pay for legal services, the Associated Press reports.

Last fall, UC-Davis opened special center with a $500,000 budget and full time director to help illegal immigrant students, and a similar center opened in March at California State University – Long Beach, home to about 650 illegal immigrant students.

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Three other Cal State schools also have programs that help illegal students sort through their immigration process and sign up for classes with state aid.

“St. Peter’s University in New Jersey announced in November that it was creating a center like the one at UC Davis.  Emory University in Atlanta, New York University and Tufts University outside Boston plan to start allowing immigrant students to enter this fall and compete with U.S. citizens for need-based financial aid,” according to the news service.

On Monday, Santa Rosa Junior College opened its “Dream Center” to provide “a safe, supportive, one-stop shop for undocumented students and potential students as they explore their educational future,” The Press Democrat reports.

The whole goal of the center is to help students in the country illegally to work through President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy to enroll at the junior college with state aid.

“Dream Center staff are here to create a welcoming experience while students navigate matters related to AB540 admissions, DACA, the California Dream Act, EOPS (Extended Opportunities Programs & Services), the BOG (Board of Governors) Fee Waiver, referrals to Assessment & Counseling, and the essentials of full matriculation at SRJC,” the SRJC site explains.

“The things we do for our undocumented students are no different than what we should do for all of our students, which is help them succeed,” Daniel Lopez, Northeastern Illinois University’s associate vice president for student affairs, told the AP.

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Northeastern Illinois University’s roughly 265 students in the country illegally from Europe, Korea, and Latin America are welcomed by a special advisor and faculty trained to cater to their needs.

According to the AP, at least 21 states allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public universities. Five states, including California, extend state financial aid to students lacking legal residency status.

But while the efforts to help illegal immigrant students has been largely applauded by academics and the media, not everyone thinks the money spent is a wise investment.

“We just think the university is doing special treatment to this one group of students instead of spending the $96,000 that went to the center in a way that would benefit everybody, including undocumented students,” said Nester Moto Jr., chairman of Cal State – Long Beach’s College Republicans.