Thread: CO - Illegal Immigrants May Not Get College Subsidy

Mar 3, 2009 4:53 pm US/Mountain
DENVER

Illegal Immigrants May Not Get College Subsidy

A proposal to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates is being weakened in the face of opposition.

Democratic Sen. Chris Romer said Tuesday he would no longer seek to give these students the same state subsidy other Colorado students get.

The state provides every Colorado student with a voucher worth about $2,000 which they can use at a state college of their choice within the state.

Under Romer's proposal, students who graduated from Colorado high schools and are in the country illegally would qualify to pay lower in-state tuition rates. But they wouldn't get the same subsidy as other students and would have to make up the difference.

He said donors could help them make up the additional cost.

http://cbs4denver.com/local/Illegal.Imm ... 49725.html

Sounds like Mr. Romer has regained some of his logical patriotic thinking.
I had emailed him several weeks ago and he replied with some words about how wonderful his plan was and included a couple articles supporting his position. Unfortunately, I recently wiped out his email. Will post it if I can retrieve.

In-state tuition proposal takes on caveats
To receive the in-state rate, illegal immigrants would agree to seek citizenship

By Tim Hoover
The Denver Post
Posted: 03/04/2009 12:30:00 AM MST
Updated: 03/04/2009 12:48:27 AM MST

The lawmaker behind a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition now says the measure will require them to seek citizenship.

Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, said he is adding the citizenship requirement to his own bill as well as another provision that would prohibit illegal immigrants from getting College Opportunity Fund scholarships.

The vouchers provide a public college or university more than $2,000 a year for a typical, full-time student. Romer said that by making the students ineligible for the voucher funding, it would be clear there is no cost to taxpayers.

The new bill requires undocumented students who get the in-state rate to sign an affidavit stating they will try to become U.S. citizens.

Romer said he's adding both provisions to SB 170 to make it more palatable. The bill faces its first hearing Thursday in the Senate Education Committee.

"I knew that there were going to be some concessions," he said of the amendments.

Romer's bill would allow students who have attended a Colorado high school for at least three years and who have graduated to receive in-state tuition at a public college or university.

The difference in tuition rates can be staggering.

For example, a student enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder would pay $5,418 in tuition at the in-state rate, a sum that does not include many fees, room and board or other charges. The university's tuition for courses outside of the College of Arts and Sciences , which is the largest college on campus, can be much higher.

The same student enrolled at the out-of-state tuition rate would pay $23,580, with the same caveats regarding fees, room and board and other charges.

Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, has said he will try to challenge the bill in court if it becomes law. Groups pushing for tougher restrictions on immigration also oppose the bill.

Though the legislation is getting backing from some high-profile Republican businessmen, it's unclear whether it can make it through both houses.

Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins and the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said that with the amendments, the bill probably would make it out of his committee.

But Romer still does not have a House co-sponsor for his bill. He said he expected that to change soon.

Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com

http://www.denverpost.com/technology/ci_11829605