Senator proposes in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
By Tim Hoover
The Denver Post
Posted: 02/03/2009 06:35:33 PM MST
Updated: 02/03/2009 06:38:23 PM MST


State Sen. Chris Romer is sponsoring a bill that would allow students who are illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at Colorado's colleges and universities.

Regardless of their immigration status, SB 170 would give the in-state tuition rate to students who attended a Colorado high school, graduating or achieving a GED, and who have enrolled in a Colorado public college or university within five years of getting their high school diplomas.

"Students with a college education are more productive and more likely to be civically engaged," said Romer, D-Denver. "Passing this legislation will help keep us economically competitive with our neighboring states and give these kids the chance to give back to the Colorado communities where they have grown up."

The bill has been endorsed by the University of Northern Colorado Board of Trustees, the Boulder Valley School District and Denver Public Schools.

Federal law makes all children, including those of illegal immigrants, eligible to attend public schools from kindergarten through high school.

Supporters of the bill said the money spent on the child in public school would be wasted if he or she couldn't attend college.

"Out-of-state tuition rates are 97 to 559 percent higher than in-state rates," said Carlos Valverde of the Colorado Progressive Coalition, one of several groups supporting the bill. "These costs are prohibitively high and mean that talented Colorado high school graduates must put their education on hold indefinitely."

But Sen. Dave Schultheis, a longtime proponent of greater restrictions on illegal immigration, said the bill would just invite lawsuits from out-of-state students who would want the in-state tuition rate as well.

"I will seek students that will sue, frankly," Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, said. "This is totally opposed to what I believe the citizens of Colorado want to see happen."

"Why UNC is coming out in favor of this I don't know, unless they just want more students and more tuition dollars."

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_11619717