Home > Education > On Education > California Supreme Court to Take On Discounted Tuition for Illegal Immigrants

On Education

California Supreme Court to Take On Discounted Tuition for Illegal Immigrants

January 9, 2009 RSS Feed Print

Comment (32)
Tweet

Should illegal immigrants pay discounted tuition rates at state colleges? The California Supreme Court is expected to take up that question later this year when it hears arguments on the constitutionality of California's law granting in-state tuition to undocumented students. Expect educators and lawmakers across the country to pay close attention to the case. The outcome will likely influence other states' college tuition policies for immigrant students who are not legal U.S. residents. At least nine states offer tuition breaks to illegal immigrants who meet certain conditions, including Illinois, Kansas, and New York.

Last August, U.S. News reported on the growing pressure that states face to ban illegal immigrants from public colleges and universities as well as to repeal in-state tuition benefits for those students, no matter their academic qualifications. Lawyers challenging California's tuition policy in the case Martinez v . Regents of the University of California say the state's public colleges and universities are violating a 1996 federal law that prohibits taxpayer-funded institutions from giving benefits to undocumented immigrants that are not also given to U.S. citizens. Out-of-state U.S. citizens are required to pay considerably higher fees than California students, regardless of citizenship status. UC officials say the state law was crafted to comply with federal law. Most students who have qualified for the discounted tuition are legal U.S. citizens, they say, including students who live in other states but attended a California high school, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Federal lawmakers, who will likely try again this year to reach an agreement on comprehensive immigration reform, could also be influenced by the outcome of the case.

Tags:: education,; California,; immigration reform

« Previous Post Next Post »

Reader Comments Read all comments (32)

Add Your Thoughts Comment Name State Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

This is just one of MANY examples of why the CA economy is so far gone and in the toilet.
FIRST off.....they are CRIMINAL ALIENS, not "illegal immigrants," the term coined for the politically correct in our society. If I go to my local bank and take money without permission, I WILL NOT be labeled a "financially defecient" person. I will be called a bank robber/felon. People who come to this country (of which i have been wounded THREE times defending) outside of the accepted, legal ways and means ARE criminals.....No more, No less! I believe in the prospect of America being the land of plenty and of opportunity for ALL persons wishing to reach out a grab the dream. Heck, I am only 3rd generation born of Irish immigrants at the turn of the century. BUT....If you come to America:
#1 - Do it the right way....follow the rules and laws of our land in coming here and once you are here,
#2 - Once you are here, you are subject to all the same rules, by-laws, and regulations the rest of us are suject to. I.E. paying taxes, paying for your own homes and health care, etc.,
#3 - Learn our language and customs. And, YES, I DO realize America is a "melting pot," but if I decide to move to Germany or Sweden, or China...the burden is on me to integrate myself into their culture by learning their language, customs, culture and traditions. NOT for them to bend over backwards to make it easier for me. Life isn't SUPPOSED to be easy, that's why it's called life!
Back to the issue at hand. Now while this decision was made in CA, it WILL affect ALL Americans! After CA continues to hemorage massive deficeits(sp) in their state budgets due to this (and other qusetionable) financial decision(s), who will they turn to? The federal government will help them out with all other states' federal taxpayer dollars. This is financially irresponsible, if not borderline criminally negligent use of CA state and federal taxpayer dollars!
While I do believe, as I stated before, in the prospect of a better life and more opportunity here in America for all that come here....When does the use of common sense (or lack thereof) come into play in our society? I, for one, am VERY worried where all of this will lead us, let alone where we already are!

StickmanUSMC of MO 10:59PM November 15, 2010

Putting it simply: Illegal immigrants should not be given the rights to attend any public school system in the United States, let alone attend a high school for 3 years running. What does the word "illegal" mean? It means you are not in this country legally. APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP. Part of the reason people continue to come into this country is because our government continutes to offer them benefits without mandating that they become citizens or at least apply for visas, or green cards. It's our government that continues to encourage this situation. It is their responsibility to put a stop to this practice. You can't blame those coming over here illegally when our government condones it and gives them the privlidges of people here legally. Again our government is to blame for this problem. It puts undue stress on our system, causing students who have lived in this country since birth less opportunies because as Obama coined "spread the wealth" is also being extended to non-citizens as well as citizens.

Doreen E. Flanders of CA 5:58PM November 15, 2010

Our family has been legal residents of Michigan; living and working here for more than a decade continuously. Even without US citizenship or green card status we have fulfilled all of our residential responsibilities such as paying income, sales and property taxes. We own a home in Michigan and contribute to our community regardless of our citizenship status.
In the last three years we have been repeatedly disappointed, each time our son’s in-state residency application was denied by the University of Michigan. We feel strongly discriminated against and unfairly penalized by being required to pay three times higher college tuition than any other student with parents who live, work and contribute to their community in Michigan.
We think the U of M, as a public university, should discontinue the unfair practice of classifying legal residents by their visa status; disregarding their legal rights and economical contribution to the state and the country. Other institutions including Washtenaw Community College and Lake Superior State University have far more equitable policies regarding the residency status of non-citizens who live, work and own property in the state of Michigan.
We request your help in shedding light on this unfair discriminatory practice. We would additionally appreciate your support in convincing the U of M to improve its existing residency guidelines to be fair and objective.
Hope under you and our efforts, all those students like my son can be treated fairly as human with feeling in Michigan, USA.

Linda of MI 2:41PM February 07, 2010

California Supreme Court to Take On Discounted Tuition for Illegal Immigrants

Related Articles

Reader Comments Read all comments (32)

On Education

Editor's Picks