The Virginia legislature which started up its short session today, will deal with more issues involving illegal immigration. This time, several legislators are targetting the children of illegal immigrants. While these kids were often brought to the United States as infants or young kids, and many went through American schools k-12.
Had the Dream Act passed, the legislature would not be wasting its time on this question.
From insidenova.com:
Del. Christopher Peace’s bill would amend state law to explicitly prohibit people who are in the United States illegally from being admitted to Virginia’s public two-year or four-year institutions.
Several previous attempts to pass similar legislation in Virginia haven’t succeeded.
Federal law prohibits such people from paying in-state tuition at colleges and universities, but they can still pursue a public college education. Virginia’s public universities currently have the discretion to decide whether to admit illegal aliens as long as they charge out-of-state tuition.
South Carolina bars undocumented students from enrolling in public colleges, as have some Georgia institutions, and Alabama’s two-year colleges.
I seriously doubt that this bill makes it through to the finish line. Too many people understand that these are extremely good students who will one day add to our work force. Why not reward kids who do the right thing?
Good idea. Let’s keep everyone ignorant. And while we are at it, let’s raise the price of tuition. Then the ignorant can stay ignorant and stop fighting the system so the rich can get richer.
GO PINKO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why are people so vindictive, I truly do not understand. On one hand the argument is that illegal immigrants are a drain on our society, prone to crime, blahdy blahdy blah, but if there are kids trying to better themselves, wanting to contribute, hoping to become a real integral component of American society, elected officials want to punish them? WTF?
Let’s not go to extremes here.. Not going to college won’t make a person or keep them ignorant. And, the GA has no ability to restrict private colleges outside of government loans. If Kaplan, Phoenix, Strayer or any other number of colleges wanted to enroll them – they could. With the endowments some schools hold they could do so at 0 cost to the student to really rile up the “anti-immigrant” crowd.
I’m not FOR this legislation as it excludes a student 100% for legal status. I would be PRO any legislation that sets the cost of tuition to that of an out of state resident.
marin, are they really an out of state student though?
I think that is contrived.
I think that legal question hasn’t been settled by the Courts yet. But, if it’s a choice between no admission and admission via out of state tuition – would you really pick the former? 😉
Tuition costs for whatever reason can get quirky. I have a friend that was born in the US, went to school in the US and graduated from a local HS. When she applied to NOVA, because she was under the age of 24, and lived at home with her parents she had to provide NOVA with copies of her parents’ LPR cards in order to secure “in state tuition”. Even though she herself was a US citizen. So even a US citizen must have US citizen parents, or those that are LPR to qualify for “in state tuition” as long as they are 24 or under and live at home.
The mental health system or lack therof is not only more expensive than college tuition but definitelly more dangerous.
DB, I also question why a parents tax returns and information are needed for a student federal loan. At 18 they’re adults and should take care of their own financial dealings unless the parent WANTS to help out. Just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
@marinm It’s so your government can review your financial information and then proceed to punish you for saving up a few dollars for your child’s education. We’d probably be dishing out a lot less tuition if we had spent more money on cars and vacations over the years.