Thread: Tuition could rise for illegal immigrants

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Tuition could rise for illegal immigrants
By John Scheibe, jscheibe@VenturaCountyStar.com
July 9, 2006

California State University and community college representatives said last week that, should it become law, they will comply with a proposed federal amendment that would bar California and nine other states from using federal dollars to cover in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.

Rep. John Culberson, a Republican from Houston, Texas, recently added the amendment to the 2007 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill.

The amendment seeks to deny federal dollars to states that violate the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. The act prohibits states from giving undocumented immigrants rights or services not available to all U.S. residents.

Culberson's amendment challenges state laws such as California's AB540. The 2002 law exempts many immigrants here illegally from paying nonresident tuition at public colleges and universities as long as they attended a California high school for three or more years and graduated from a state high school. To qualify, these students must also show that they are taking steps to legalize their status.

CSU looks only at whether students meet these criteria in deciding whether to charge them in-state tuition, said CSU spokeswoman Clara Potes-Fellow.

It's the same story at the community colleges, said Bill Studt, vice chancellor of human resources for the Ventura County Community College District.

"We don't look at whether students are here legally or not," Studt said.

Still, both Studt and Potes-Fellow said they would comply with the law should Culberson's amendment pass. But Studt and Potes-Fellow said it's unclear exactly what the new law would mean for CSU or the community colleges.

Critics of AB540 say it's not fair to charge illegal immigrants less tuition than out-of-state residents here legally.

"When you do this, you're rewarding people who break the law," said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group opposed to illegal immigration.

Out-of-state students pay substantially more in tuition than California residents. For example, the University of California charged in-state students $6,141 in tuition during the 2005-06 school year. But out-of-state students paid $17,820.

$3,000 versus $13,000

The difference also is substantial at California State University, said Potes-Fellow. In-state students pay about $3,000 in tuition, while out-of-state students pay about $13,000 a year.

Under the 2006-07 state budget, community college students who are residents of California will pay $20 per unit, $6 less than what they paid this last school year.

But nonresident students will pay $169 per unit, said Jeanne Brown, a spokeswoman for Moorpark College.

David Rodriguez, vice president for the far west region of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation's oldest Latino civil rights group, called Culberson's amendment another attack on immigrants.

"Many of the students that it targets come from low-income families, people who can't afford to send their kids to college," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said government leaders should be doing the opposite by making college more accessible to all.

AB540 also is being challenged by a Redwood City attorney Michael Brady.

Brady filed a lawsuit in December on behalf of 42 college students and parents against the University of California.

The lawsuit claims 60,000 out-of-state students have been overcharged millions of dollars in tuition because the state's public universities and colleges have failed to comply with the federal Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.

"It's outrageous that a U.S. citizen has to pay more in tuition to attend a public university than someone here illegally," Brady said.

"All we're asking for is that students who are here legally be given the same benefit as those who are not."

Seeking accountability

Aaron Dallek, 22, of Chicago, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said he decided to join the lawsuit as a way to bring more accountability to government.

Right now, the California Legislature has ignored federal law, said Dallek, who graduated from UC Berkeley in May with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Dallek estimates he spent $50,000 more paying out-of-state tuition during his four years at the school than he would have had he been in California as an illegal immigrant.

"Where's the justice in that?" he said.

David Rodriguez, vice president for the far west region of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation's oldest Latino civil rights group, called Culberson's amendment another attack on immigrants.

Here's more bigotry and racist crap coming from one of the pro amnesty groups.

I sure wish they'd find something else to do with their time.

Dallek estimates he spent $50,000 more paying out-of-state tuition during his four years at the school than he would have had he been in California as an illegal immigrant.

"Where's the justice in that?" he said.

It's not justice when illegals are once again being rewarded for breaking the law while our citizens pay the price.

If they are found to be ILLEGAL then why would they still be given an opportunity to go to college anyway???? DEPORT THEM!