This below article came from our local newspaper today, it's disgusting.

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbc ... 14/OPINION

Our view: Immigrants deserve chance for education


Just say the word "immigrant" and it causes a stir. Attach it to the idea of giving an immigrant an economic benefit and the naysayers come out of the woodwork.

We support the legislature's efforts to allow undocumented immigrants living in Connecticut to attend state universities and colleges at the in-state tuition rate. Here's why:

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The tuition rate is not a free ride. It would be available to only those immigrants who have graduated high school in Connecticut, and who attended high school in the state for at least two years.


To be eligible for the in-state tuition rate, students must sign an affidavit that says they have applied for legal status or will as soon as they are eligible.

Tuition at the University of Connecticut is a whopping $21,562 for out-of-state students. Tuition for in-state students is $8,362. The tuition at other public colleges and universities in the state is about $14,000 a year for out-of-state students vs. $6,000 a year for in-state students.

None of these students are eligible for state or federal financial aid.

The process of becoming a naturalized citizen takes about five years.
We support the bill for other reasons, as well.

Most who will use the bill are barely 18 and arrived in this country because of their parents' goal of starting a new life. What kind of life are we subjecting them to if we don't give them a fair chance at higher education?

Since there have been European settlers in Eastern Connecticut, waves of immigrants have built the economy. Immigrants fueled the economy by providing the labor needed in the mills and factories that once dotted the landscape.

It is the latest wave of immigrants -- including the Chinese, Haitian, Indian and Mexican immigrants -- that is helping to revitalize the region's economy once again. The bill needs 10 votes out of the 19 members to get out of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee and get to the floor of the legislature. We hope the committee members can do what's right, despite public pressure to kill the bill.

If the state does not act swiftly, nearly 85,000 of the state's residents may never have a chance to better their lives through higher education. The biggest loser will be Connecticut. The state could be saddled with a growing, yet uneducated workforce. That hurts all of us.

* I helped you out! Dixie