No in-state Tuition for Illegal Immigrants

By: Brionna Givens
Students who pay in-state tuition pay two to three times as less than what out-of-state students pay. But many states are reducing their education benefits for undocumented students according to the article States move against in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. For three years now Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Oklahoma has made undocumented students ineligible for in-state tuition rates. Just last year South Carolina banned undocumented students from enrolling in its public colleges and North Carolina has barred them from its community colleges. Many people believe the current recession is playing a big role in states eliminating its education benefits for undocumented students. But there are some states who are continuing to help undocumented students out financially.
Between 2001 and 2006 states such as New York, Kansas, and California has passed legislation awarding in-state tuition rates to undocumented students. Other states such as New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut recently proposed laws to give undocumented students in-state tuition. But opponents concerning this issue believe that this a form of amnesty and it is rewarding illegal behavior and promoting illegal immigration. Also there is an older federal law that says "states can't make in-state tuition available for undocumented students unless they do the same for citizens from anywhere in the US." which is only adding fuel to the already growing fire.