In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants Unfair to Foreign Students?
Aug 27, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) The debate about the state's controversial law granting in-state tuition for illegal immigrants will surface again at the Immigration Interim Committee meeting tonight in Park City. An Indonesian student and a University of Utah instructor will testify that the law is unfair to foreign students who are charged more expensive out-of-state tuition. Adjunct professor Rebecca Cowden says she's worked for years with people from developing countries, and we should give those here on student visas tuition breaks, too.

"I just don't think the label that I don't like foreigners applies. I'm just saying: It just feels like we're held hostage and this is nutty," Cowden says. "If they have enough money to do this, then please, could we expand it to the legal students and could we expand it to the other American citizens. And the ugly truth, I suspect, is that we don't have the money and we just don't know what to do."

Advocates, such as Utahn's for the American Dream Co-Chairwoman Karen Crompton, are wary of efforts to outlaw the tuition break. Crompton, who is also the executive director of Voices for Utah Children, says many have grown up as Americans. Under the current law, illegal immigrants who graduate after attending at least three years of high school in Utah qualify for in-state tuition. The law initially passed the Legislature in anticipation of the federal Dream Act, sponsored by Utah's U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch. But the bill failed to pass Congress.

Crompton agrees a college education is too expensive for many students, but she feels the financial challenges unique to illegal immigrants warrant giving them cheaper tuition.

"Getting an education is tougher for everyone these days because of the financial cost and fewer loans being available. And in fact, students of undocumented parents have very few financial options. They're not eligible for federal grants or loans, nor grants from universities," Crompton says. "So they really have a tough job ahead of them. And so I think we should really reward and encourage their effort, which is really to achieve the American dream."

An attempt to reverse the law failed to gain Legislative support earlier this year. However, a sweeping immigration reform bill, S.B. 81, was approved.
http://www.kcpw.org:80/article/6581