Editorial: No tuition help for illegal immigrantsPublished: Wednesday, April 13, 2011

By News-Herald Editorial staff
The debate over illegal immigration is wide ranging, and recently, it's made its way back onto college campuses.

As many southern states pass news laws to crack down on illegal immigrants, the Maryland General Assembly last week moved toward allowing them to pay in-state college tuition if they meet certain conditions, according to The Associated Press. The Maryland House voted 74-66 for the measure after intense debate. Its Senate already has passed similar legislation.

Democratic supporters say the legislation would create opportunity for people who have lived in Maryland for years and paid state taxes.

But Republican opponents said the measure rewards illegal behavior at taxpayers' expense, while filling up seats at the state's colleges that could be filled with citizens who are struggling to find work in a tough economy.

Illegal immigrants would have to complete two years at a community college and show that their parents paid state income taxes for the three years before they enrolled to qualify for in-state tuition. The proposal is aimed at those who may have come to the U.S. illegally as children with their parents and may have lived most of their life in the U.S. Someone who is born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants is automatically a citizen.

The House added an amendment that would require male illegal immigrants to register with the Selective Service, or the draft, before qualifying for the reduced tuition rate. The House also changed the definition of an illegal immigrant receiving the reduced tuition rate to have him or her count as part of a school's out-of-state student pool, preventing in-state slots for Maryland residents from being affected.

The House also changed the bill so that parents would have to produce evidence they paid Maryland income taxes 90 days out of each of the three years, though it included an exception for parents who were unable to meet the requirement if they experienced "serious and substantial circumstances," such as an injury.

The financial implications for students are significant. In-state tuition at the University of Maryland is $8,416 annually, and out-of-state students pay $24,831 a year.

Since 2001, 10 states have enacted laws to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at public universities. They are California, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Washington.

We disapprove of such in-state tuition help for illegal immigrants and believe that as more states adopt such laws, they may actually incentivize entering the country illegally.

While we appreciate that these young men and women want to better themselves and become productive members of society, we feel that process simply must start with them becoming legal residents of the United States.

An illegal immigrant's mere presence on American soil breaks the law. To afford them the advantage of in-state tuition could easily become a detriment to American-born students and is unfair to international students who go through the proper channels.
The debate over illegal immigration is wide ranging, and recently, it's made its way back onto college campuses.

As many southern states pass news laws to crack down on illegal immigrants, the Maryland General Assembly last week moved toward allowing them to pay in-state college tuition if they meet certain conditions, according to The Associated Press. The Maryland House voted 74-66 for the measure after intense debate. Its Senate already has passed similar legislation.

Democratic supporters say the legislation would create opportunity for people who have lived in Maryland for years and paid state taxes.

But Republican opponents said the measure rewards illegal behavior at taxpayers' expense, while filling up seats at the state's colleges that could be filled with citizens who are struggling to find work in a tough economy.

Illegal immigrants would have to complete two years at a community college and show that their parents paid state income taxes for the three years before they enrolled to qualify for in-state tuition. The proposal is aimed at those who may have come to the U.S. illegally as children with their parents and may have lived most of their life in the U.S. Someone who is born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants is automatically a citizen.

The House added an amendment that would require male illegal immigrants to register with the Selective Service, or the draft, before qualifying for the reduced tuition rate. The House also changed the definition of an illegal immigrant receiving the reduced tuition rate to have him or her count as part of a school's out-of-state student pool, preventing in-state slots for Maryland residents from being affected.

The House also changed the bill so that parents would have to produce evidence they paid Maryland income taxes 90 days out of each of the three years, though it included an exception for parents who were unable to meet the requirement if they experienced "serious and substantial circumstances," such as an injury.

The financial implications for students are significant. In-state tuition at the University of Maryland is $8,416 annually, and out-of-state students pay $24,831 a year.

Since 2001, 10 states have enacted laws to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at public universities. They are California, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Washington.

We disapprove of such in-state tuition help for illegal immigrants and believe that as more states adopt such laws, they may actually incentivize entering the country illegally.

While we appreciate that these young men and women want to better themselves and become productive members of society, we feel that process simply must start with them becoming legal residents of the United States.

An illegal immigrant's mere presence on American soil breaks the law. To afford them the advantage of in-state tuition could easily become a detriment to American-born students and is unfair to international students who go through the proper channels.

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