So, I'm having to write a "position paper" in my current composition class. Here's my rough draft. Make some comments, give me some ideas. But READ the WHOLE thing before you get upset for it or against it.
Hey Mexico! We are opening our borders, come on in! While you’re at it, bring your kids in for a free education! This is what we might as well say since we are currently rewarding undocumented, illegal immigrants benefits of residency. That is correct folks; currently in ten states, we are giving undocumented students in-state tuition. This is not right, nor is it fair to those who are legal citizens and who do not get a tuition break.
Pursuant to federal law, illegal aliens or immigrants should not receive in-state tuition. However, several states have passed their own laws allowing exactly that. These laws allow people who have broken our laws from their first step on American soil the same educational benefits as law-abiding citizens.
Imagine growing up in a family where your father barely makes $40,000 a year. Your parents “own” your home (they have to pay a $650 a month mortgage payment plus insurance); feed four children (three of those are boys); make car payments, car insurance; clothe themselves and those four children; not to mention pay health insurance premiums; and miscellaneous expenses. Do you think those parents can afford to pay college tuition? Let us break this down a little, do a bit of math…$40,000 a year divided by 12 months, that is roughly $3,333 a month, with all of those expenses, if they are lucky, they will have about $1,500 left over. But two of those children and the mother are on medication that they buy every month and there are constant doctor’s visits.
Unfortunately, a pell grant for an “expected family contribution” of 0 is only $5,500. That barely covers tuition alone. Then you have lab fees, books, supplies, and room and board. “Public four-year colleges charge, on average, $7,605 per year in tuition and fees for in-state students. The average surcharge for full-time out-of-state students at these institutions is $11,990” according to http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/add-it-up/4494.html . So, if you come from a situation like the one above, you parents cannot afford to pay for your tuition and you definitely cannot. This was my situation.
I received a small scholarship when I graduated from high school because I participated in a tutoring program throughout high school. This scholarship was only enough to pay for one year of college. I went to beauty school because I saw no other way to pay for subsequent schooling.
So, when I hear that (12 years later when I have to get student loans to pay for an education) illegal immigrants are getting in-state tuition, I am more than a little perturbed. According to the Huffington Post, I am not alone. “Since 2001, illegal immigrants in Texas have qualified for in-state tuition by law. But a bill in the Texas A&M University student senate seeks to change that with, at the very least, a symbolic stance… Justin Pulliam, one of the bill's co-sponsors, told the group that the issue wasn't a financial one. ‘This is about what's right and what's fair," he said. ‘It isn't fair to out-of-state citizens who are here legally.’” Of course, for me it is both a financial issue and about what’s fair.
Most students have to work to pay for schooling and/or take out student loans. One year at Texas A&M University, which is where I wanted to go but cannot afford, costs about $4,200, in state, out of state it is about $8, 845. These are undergraduate costs for unspecified schools of concentration, full time classification. This is also without course related Educational Enhancement, Equipment Access, Lab and/or Field Trip Fees; Optional Fees (housing, meal plans, parking, etc.); a Property Deposit $100 fee for new, transfer, re-admitted students or ones without one on file. And of course, an International Student Admin Fee of $200-$500 charged to third party sponsored students; or an International Student Services Fee, which will be $46/semester for the semester. Find these facts at: http://finance.tamu.edu/sbs/tuition/cost_attendance.asp.
In Atlanta, Ga., one student, receiving in-state tuition as an illegal immigrant, spent 37 days in a detention center. The amazing thing is this girl has been here illegally since a child, been educated in our public schools and has been attending a state university for three years! All of this without legal documentation and even more disturbing, the authorities released her and “said they would give her a year to finish her studies at Kennesaw State University.” (Brumback, Kate, 2011)
Someone who went about getting an education from the U.S. the correct way gave one comment made on the above posting.
Dear Jessica, you should understand that there are laws that you should respect and follow them like the majority of us do. You should have been deported immediately because you of your status and because you lied and tried to exploit the system.
I came to this country as an international student 9 years ago, completed my studies and then found a job with a work visa. I have been paying taxes and working legally for 5 years and I don't even have the green card yet, but it might take another 5-6 years for me to get it legally. What makes you think that you are special? Are you better than me or all those other legal immigrants who work here legally and pay taxes and don't drive around without a driving license? NO ONE IS PREVENTING YOU FROM GETTING A STUDENT VISA AND STUDYING LEGALLY, BUT I GUESS IT IS EASIER TO PLAY THE ROLE OF THE VICTIM SO WE CAN FEEL BAD FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU, WHO HAVE NOT RESPECT FOR THE LAWS OF A COUNTRY (Nova, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110511/ap_on_re_us/us_immigration_college_student).
Apparently, not only U.S. citizens are angry or affected by this. People who have worked hard at going about immigration in the correct manner agree that this is wrong. Like “Nova” said, illegals taking advantage of the system have no respect for the laws of the country and apparently, the authorities who let Colotl out have no respect for the laws either. Those people need to be fired and fined, if not taken to court, for breaking the law!
D.A. King commented in the above story saying, "I think it's grossly unfair to the real immigrants who have followed the rules to come here legally." King founded the Dustin Inman Society in Georgia. “With a focus on Georgia, The Dustin Inman Society is dedicated to educating the public and our elected officials on the consequences of illegal immigration, our unsecured borders and the breakdown of the rule of law in our Republic” (http://www.thedustininmansociety.org/).
Texas and Georgia are not alone in this struggle. “At a time when Marylanders continue to struggle to pay their bills, their food bills, their gasoline bills…this state and this General Assembly is offering our taxpayer-provided benefits to people who are not even here legally,” said House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell (http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/04/26/in-state-tuition-for-illegal-immigrants-sparks-debate/). Lawmakers are asking Maryland voters to go online to sign a petition to have a bill placed on next year’s ballot. This will give Marylanders the right to vote on whether or not they want to allow illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition. The need for this action is great in every state.
According to http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/11/undocumented-students.html, in 2010, the California Supreme Court came to a unanimous decision to continue allowing illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition. As of May 15, 2011, Oregon is also considering such actions. In an article on the website for 9news in Denver, Colorodo (http://www.9news.com/news/article/193672/339/Senate-OKs-in-state-tuition-for-illegal-immigrants), Senator Angela Giron (D-Pueblo) states that she has undocumented relatives. She is a sponsor of the bill asking for the allowance of illegals to recieve in-state tuition. Senator Scott Renfroe (R-Greeley) said, “This bill is trying to give an in-state tuition [cut] to a class of people that are breaking the law.” This is the exact reason this is, and should be, an argument. These people are breaking the laws of immigration.
At least 30 states have considered legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition, and 10 states have passed such legislation (Russell, A.). Ten states have legislative officers who do not care that they are aiding criminals. That is what these illegal immigrants are, lawbreakers.
For undocumented students to be eligible for in-state tuition, they must reside in or attend school in the state for a specified number of years (two to four), graduate from a high school in the state or complete a GED, and submit an affidavit stating intent to file for legal residency. Of the 10 states that have enacted this legislation, six redefine residency for purposes of tuition by focusing on high-school attendance rather than residence in the state. The other four states exempt certain categories of students from paying out-of-state tuition, including undocumented students who meet the above requirements.
The key phrase here is “intent to file”. This means that they do not actually have to file for legal residency; they only have submit an affidavit saying they will. This only gives them more opportunity to avoid their legal responsibility. Why would they take the initiative to go through with filing when they have no one who will follow up on documentation of filing? There is no reason for them to. These laws are just opening another door for illegal immigrants to receive rewards for their lawlessness.
While some would argue it is an issue of allowing a good education, it is an issue of giving a reward to lawbreakers. "This is not a partisan issue. This is good education policy and good fiscal policy. It brings in good money for colleges and tax revenue, helps kids that want to get ahead in college go," said be Sen. Michael Johnston (D-Denver) in the above article. Senator Bill Cadman (R-Colorado Springs) argues aptly, “I don't think we should incentivize illegal activity, and that's exactly what this does. You cannot grant somebody an entitlement, or make them eligible for a benefit, and reward illegal activity.”
Granted, for these students to get in-state tuition, they must have graduated or obtained a GED from a high school in the state of question, but the given education is on the US taxpayer’s dime. “In Plyler v. Doe (1982), the Supreme Court ruled that all children, regardless of immigration status, are guaranteed access to public education from kindergarten through 12th grade. The Court held that denying such an education would punish children for the acts of their parents and would perpetuate the formation of an underclass of citizens” (Russell, A.). If a student has been here long enough to have attended four years of high school or been here longer than that, why is it that they have not taken the steps necessary to obtain at least a student visa or a green card? Why not take it a step further and apply for legal alien status or residency, if not citizenship? Perhaps these people are too lazy to take simple steps to legalize their residency in the country that they obviously love and want to be in; otherwise why would they continue to reside here? And why would the Supreme Court deem it fair that there is a denial of benefits to American children by their own government when said government is giving said benefits to children whose parents brought them here illegally? There may be circumstances, of course, that may prevent their becoming legal residents, but that does not change the fact that they are here illegally. If something is preventing some form of legality, they should return to where they came from because usual reasoning for the prevention is due to a subject being a criminal.
I understand that it is not fair to the children that their parents brought them here in an illegal manner, but after the age of eighteen, they are no longer children, they are responsible adults. At that age, these young adults should take matters into their own hands and apply for citizenship or if they do not want to become legal in any form, they should make their way back to their native country.
I am against illegals receiving in-state tuition, but I am not against LEGAL immigrants receiving it. Immigrants who come here legally and have resided in a state for over a year should receive in-state tuition.
Many would argue that I am being racist. This is simply not the case. I have enjoyed the company of friends from many different racial backgrounds. My family has housed foreign exchange students.
These students have gone about obtaining a U.S. education via legal venues. Many international students are here on student visas. These students came here to get an education but they pay out-of-state and sometimes international student fees to get an education in the United States. How is it fair that the students who have gone about coming into this country legally should have to pay more for an education than those who have come here by breaking the law?
According to Sen. Ted Harvey (R-Highlands Ranch), "We are incentivizing more illegal behavior by future generations" (http://www.9news.com/news/article/193672/339/Senate-OKs-in-state-tuition-for-illegal-immigrants). Indeed, with this course of action, we are encouraging future generations to come here and take what is not theirs. We are encouraging them to break the law by allowing them in-state tuition.
References
Brumback, K. (May, 11, 2011). Ga. College Student a Reluctant Immigration Symbol. Associated Press. Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110511/ap_on_re_us/us_immigration_college_student.
No Author. (May 05, 2010). Texas A&M Student Bill Opposes In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/05/texas-am-student-bill-opp_n_564165.html
Russell, A. (August 2007). In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants: States’ Rights and Educational Opportunity. American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Retrieved from http://www.aascu.org/media/pm/pdf/in-state_tuition07.pdf.
