Thread: VA: Illegal immigration and tuition

We have so many posts now regarding Virginia. That is one busy state!
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http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/1/A ... 02-07.html

February 7th, 2007

Alexandra Hemenway, CT News Reporter


For some, college can be expensive. For many prospective college students, the idea of attending a university out of state is not an option because of the extreme cost.

In Virginia, the seemingly simple question of who is and who is not eligible for in-state tuition has come into question. This new debate over a newly proposed college tuition bill is a result of one of the moment's biggest political debates: immigration.

"I don't think this is the first attempt to get a bill like this through the General Assembly," said Ray Plaza, Projects Specialist for Diversity Initiatives Multicultural Affairs at Virginia Tech. "But one should keep in mind there really are two sides to this issue."

A new bill that was proposed by Virginia Delegate Jack Reid, and just passed through the House of Representatives 74-23, suggests that no illegal alien is eligible for in-state tuition.

"This new bill would prohibit any illegal immigrant from being eligible for in-state tuition," said Meredith Henry, the legislative assistant to delegate Reid.

This bill would make it next to impossible for any illegal immigrant to afford attending college.

"There is already a federal law that already exits," Henry said. "Delegate Reid is ensuring that this federal law is followed."

Opponents of the bill argue that trying to take the national issue of immigration and hand it over to the states is a regrettable idea.

"There is a whole package of immigration bills, like Delegate Reid's, that are shifting the issue of immigration from a federal to a state level," said Virginia Delegate Jennifer McClellan. "The states simply don't have the resources to deal with this issue."

Reid argues that if the state allowed illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition then the state would also have to allow in-state tuition to students of different states as well.

"If a state university grants illegal immigrants in-state tuition then the institution must allow all out-of-state students to pay in-state as well," Henry said.

Opponents of the bill state that it would really only punish the illegal immigrant children, who, they argue, have done nothing wrong.

"In many situations, you have a child who has lived here their entire life, perhaps has a sibling who is a citizen, or who is perhaps taking steps to become a citizen, and you are telling them that they cannot receive in-state tuition," McClellan said. "I don't think it's the right thing to do."

Often times, the illegal immigrant students have attended Virginia's public schools, and the government will pay for K-12 education. However, after that point the American education for immigrants becomes nearly impossible to obtain.

"We're preparing them for college; kids are going to high schools and taking the SATs like anyone else," said Carlos Evia, an assistant professor of English, and also a member of the Hispanic Faculty Staff Caucus. "But now we have the burden of adding more money to a situation when there's not much to begin with."

Even so, colleges are attempting to avoid this issue and help immigrants gain a college education.

"As an educator, it's hard to deny anyone an education," said Barbara Kraft, an instructor of Horticulture who teaches a Spanish class for students who work with the Latino community. "College has become something for the elite few, I think everyone should have a right to an education."

Of course, it cannot be expected that this newly proposed bill would make or break the immigration issue. The debate over immigration is no doubt an issue that will attract political attention for many years to come.

"Immigration is a bigger issue than in-state tuition," Evia said. "These problems need to be solved on a broader level."

"In many situations, you have a child who has lived here their entire life, perhaps has a sibling who is a citizen, or who is perhaps taking steps to become a citizen, and you are telling them that they cannot receive in-state tuition," McClellan said. "I don't think it's the right thing to do."

Jennifer could have stopped at "I don't think" period.

"But now we have the burden of adding more money to a situation when there's not much to begin with."

Looks like Carlos wants hard working taxpayers to pick up the burden.

"As an educator, it's hard to deny anyone an education," said Barbara Kraft, an instructor of Horticulture who teaches a Spanish class for students who work with the Latino community.

Maybe Jennifer, Carlos & Barbara could pool THEIR resources to pay for the illegal aliens' tuition.