Thread: Tennessee Lawmakers Advance Bill to Give Undocumented Immigrants In-State Tuition

March 22, 2017

Tennessee lawmakers advance bill to give undocumented immigrants in-state tuition

BY Grace Tatter - 2 HOURS AGO
PHOTO: Grace Tatter





Students visit the Tennessee State Capitol with local immigrant advocacy groups in support of a measure that would ensure all Tennessee students get in-state tuition.



While President Donald Trump is considering scrapping protections for undocumented students, Tennessee lawmakers advanced a bill on Wednesday that would make it easier for them to go to college.


A proposal to give undocumented immigrant students in-state tuition passed the Senate Education Committee with a 7-2 vote and little debate.


The move was fairly unusual, given Tennessee lawmakers’ typical hardline stance on undocumented immigrants — the state outlawed “sanctuary cities” in 2009 — and the president’s focus on the issue. But the bill’s Republican sponsor, Sen. Todd Gardenhire of Chattanooga, has steered clear of national politics and focused instead on how the proposal would continue the state’s push to get more of its young people into college.


“We know that if more Tennesseans have a college degree, the whole state is better off,” he said. “By allowing more Tennesseans to enroll in college, we can fill crucial labor shortages and expand the overall tax base.”

Sixteen states, and four other state university systems, offered in-state tuition to undocumented students in 2015, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Six states explicitly bar those students from receiving it.

Advocates say the policy can make a big difference for families. Out-of-state tuition to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is $30,914, compared to $12,274 in-state. And for community colleges, the difference is even greater: out-of-state tuition at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis costs more than $15,000, while other Tennessee high school graduates can attend for free through Tennessee Promise.

Undocumented students can’t access federal Pell grants to pay for college, nor do they qualify for the state’s free community college program, which relies on federal grants.

Making sure students who have lived in Tennessee most of their lives can graduate from college means a better return on taxpayers’ investment, Gardenhire said.

“We invest in these students throughout their K-12 education,” he said. “But then they get to college, and they have to pay three times the in-state rate.”

The bill still has several hurdles to overcome before becoming law, since it hasn’t been heard yet in the House and Tennessee’s legislative session is nearing its end. But its sponsor in the House, Rep. Mark White, a Republican from Memphis, said he is optimistic about the bill’s chances there as well. Gov. Bill Haslam has said in the past that allowing all Tennessee students in-state tuition “has merit.”


On Wednesday, dozens of immigrant students attended the hearing to watch the vote. Many remembered a similar bill that died in the House two years ago, just one vote short.

Many were heartened by the vote, according to Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus, policy director of Tennessee Immigrants and Refugee Rights Coalition.
“We are optimistic that subsequent committees will vote to support Tuition Opportunity and that undocumented students in the class of 2017 will be able to graduate with greater opportunity to enroll in college this fall,” she said in a statement.


http://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/tn/20...state-tuition/

22mTIRRC‏ @tnimmigrant
A BIG thanks to our #TuitionOpportunity sponsors @RepMarkWhite and @Todd_Gardenhire for being champions for all students in TN











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24mTIRRC‏ @tnimmigrant
Thanks Rep @GeraldMcCormick for meeting with our students & supporting #tuitionopportunity so that all students have a fair shot at college













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11mTIRRC‏ @tnimmigrant
Thanks to @VoteThompson96 for meeting with our Memphis members and supporting #tuitionopportuniy
























18mTIRRC‏ @tnimmigrant
Thanks to Rep @JoeEPitts for mtg w/ our students during today's #tuitionopportunity day on the hill & for supporting us since day 1!

4hTIRRC‏ @tnimmigrant
Gov @BillHaslam tells students he can't wait for them to be part of #DriveTo55 #tuitionopportunity

Oh GeorgiaPeach, I had no idea you were in Tennessee, I assumed you were in Georgia!! I think this will pass in Tennessee although I'm praying not. The reason is because of Nashville. I have a close friend who lives there and he says they're illegal alien crazy there. I read where there are 87 languages spoken in Nashville's public schools and Nashville is proud of that.

Originally Posted by Judy

Oh GeorgiaPeach, I had no idea you were in Tennessee, I assumed you were in Georgia!! I think this will pass in Tennessee although I'm praying not. The reason is because of Nashville. I have a close friend who lives there and he says they're illegal alien crazy there. I read where there are 87 languages spoken in Nashville's public schools and Nashville is proud of that.

It is terrible Judy in Tennessee. People have no idea the large numbers of illegal aliens and refugees. People are afraid in Nashville because of these populations and their numbers. All over Tennessee the numbers are huge.

Tennessee went for President Trump but Governor Bill Haslam operates like a democrat and he is all for Syrian refugees and illegal aliens. Just look at him before that crowd of illegal aliens. Disgusting.

The TIRRC stays in the legislature. You can see by the carefully choreographed pictures of the illegal aliens with signs about what they want to do in life that they know what they are doing. They bring large numbers and have lawmakers crying.

They plan the sob stories for the vote day and it worked.

I hope more Americans will contact lawmakers. Maybe sanity will return.

I know! They're helpless. If they complain someone will call them a racist and a bigot and they can't bear that. Tenneeseans are so wonderful. I worked with a lot of people from Tennessee back in the day and I just adored them all. Such really nice people, wouldn't ever want to offend anyone or hurt their feelings, always want to help and solve problems. Such great characteristics except when you're being invaded and then it's a terrible disadvantage.

Tennessee, get mean!! It's your kids or theirs. There isn't room, money, college or jobs for both yours and theirs. It's one or the other.

It is awful to allow an immigrant and refugee rights group to speak on the floor of the legislature and to help answer questions for members. No groups or individuals representative of the American people.

DACA needs to end so we have a greater chance of stopping this in Tennessee and other states.

23mTIRRC‏ @tnimmigrant

Students wrote their future careers on signs. @BillHaslam asked the students to raise their signs so he could read them. So much potential!





https://mobile.twitter.com/tnimmigrant

He makes me sick. What kind of Republican is he? Why isn't everyone calling him names?