Va. House panel approves expanding in-state tuition

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

By Kathy Adams
The Virginian-Pilot
©
January 28, 2014RICHMOND

A Virginia version of a law affording in-state college tuition to some students whose parents immigrated here with them illegally passed a House subcommittee this evening.


The House Higher Education Subcommittee recommended approving the bill – carried by a Republican, Del. Tom Rust of Fairfax County – and sending it to the chamber’s Appropriations Committee.

It voted to table two other versions of the legislation, carried by Del. Alfonso Lopez and Del. Kaye Kory, both Democrats who have fought several years for passage of the law.


Typically, their bills would have been incorporated into Rust’s or he would have asked them to sign on as co-patrons.

That hasn’t been done yet, but they’re hoping it will, Kory said.


“We understand, I understand, Alfonso understands the politics of the situation,” said Kory, who represents Fairfax County.

“And I am just delighted that Del. Rust, who is from across the aisle, supports the bill because it gives it a better chance. ... No matter what, we’re going to be behind this all the way.”


The legislation would help students such as Abena Opoku, a 23-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University student, who would become eligible to pay in-state rates under the change.

Paying out-of-state tuition, which is twice as much, has slowed Opoku’s education because she could only afford to take a few course credits at a time, she said.


That means it’s taken her five years to complete two years of work toward her nursing degree as she has watched her high school classmates graduate and move on without her.


“It has been undeniably very, very, very discouraging,” she said.


The proposed law lays out conditions a student must meet to be eligible for in-state rates, including being approved for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, attending a Virginia high school for at least three years and showing his or her parents have paid state income taxes.

DHS delays deportation proceedings against immigrants granted deferred action and may authorize them to legally work in the United States.


Similar efforts failed in last year’s legislative session, but Lopez, who represents Arlington, said he is hopeful there’s enough backing to see it passed this time around.


http://hamptonroads.com/2014/01/virg...ed-house-panel