The question of whether or not to offer in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities to illegal immigrants resurfaced today, with Governor Deval Patrick expressing frustration with the Legislature (stop me if you’ve heard that one before).
As Russell Contreras of the Associated Press writes today:
“[Governor] Patrick said expanding in-state tuition to undocumented students could boost state revenues by attracting more of them to higher education, ‘but it’s most especially good for those young people. It’s fair. It meets them where they are. And it’s about opportunity.’”
Republican candidate for Governor Charlie Baker responded to Patrick’s comments in a statement this afternoon:
“I strongly oppose Governor Patrick’s efforts to push through a bill granting in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants, especially as our state continues to face an economic crisis. This is about fairness. People who are here illegally should not get an advantage over students who have played by the rules, and they should not get a taxpayer-funded tuition break reserved for citizens of Massachusetts.”
Speaker DeLeo indicated that there was little legislative support for advancing the bill this year.
My husband and I are putting our fourth child through college. We are doing this through a combination of loans and savings. We are that vast majority of middle Americans who are not rich enough to afford this education nor poor enough to quilify for aid. As a school committee member, town meeting rep, fin com member I can never remember a time when there was enough money for current educational needs at the local level. The K through 12 system already supports the illegal community. Let those students who qualify and desire a college education seek out institutions who are willing to work with them and help them reach their goals. Granting citizenship right to non-citizens is a hugh debate being aired on the national stage. Let us see where the court decisions of the next few years take us and then we will have a clearer picture of where we are going.
“People who are here illegally should not get an advantage over students who have played by the rules…”
Allowing undocumented students to *pay* in-state tuition is not giving them any advantage over other students. It’s giving them the same advantage, or the same access to post secondary education their peers receive – most likely the same students whom they have sat next to their entire time in our K-12 system. Undocumented students still will not qualify for state or federal financial aid, so they will need to pay for their education out of pocket. Paying tuition = revenue.
What other choice do we have than to educate undocumented students? Putting up further barriers to their education is not conducive to them being productive individuals who work, earn income (and thus, pay taxes) and contribute to our economy and society. Undocumented immigrants are here to stay whether we like it or not. Wouldn’t we rather see them educated and working?
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a candidate for public office who promotes a positive message, without the never ceasing need to attack his opponent? Instead of saying “You’re doing this wrong, they could say if elected, this is what I want to do and how I would do it”. It’s a subtle difference in perception, but worlds apart in attitude.