Two lawmakers from Loudoun County are pushing back on the extension of in-state tuition at Virginia’s public universities for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.
Legislation filed in advance of the 2015 General Assembly session would explicitly bar any resident granted temporary legal status from paying in-state tuition. The bills challenge a recent directive from Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) that said young immigrants granted legal status under a 2012 presidential initiative could apply for in-state rates. The status has been approved for more than 9,000 such residents.
Del. David I. Ramadan (R-Loudoun), who filed a bill in the House of Delegates, said he has heard more from voters on this issue than almost any other. A ban “is what constituents want; this is what Virginians want; this is what my constituents are telling me — people who work hard and earn their money and earn their status,” Ramadan said.
A nearly identical bill was filed in the state Senate by Sen. Richard H. Black (R-Loudoun).
The lawmakers say that existing law clearly intended to prohibit undocumented immigrants from paying the lower rates — even though, as Herring argues, that state code does not specifically address young immigrants with temporary legal status.
Two lawmakers from Loudoun County are pushing back on the extension of in-state tuition at Virginia’s public universities for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.
Legislation filed in advance of the 2015 General Assembly session would explicitly bar any resident granted temporary legal status from paying in-state tuition. The bills challenge a recent directive from Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) that said young immigrants granted legal status under a 2012 presidential initiative could apply for in-state rates. The status has been approved for more than 9,000 such residents.
Del. David I. Ramadan (R-Loudoun), who filed a bill in the House of Delegates, said he has heard more from voters on this issue than almost any other. A ban “is what constituents want; this is what Virginians want; this is what my constituents are telling me — people who work hard and earn their money and earn their status,” Ramadan said.
A nearly identical bill was filed in the state Senate by Sen. Richard H. Black (R-Loudoun).
The lawmakers say that existing law clearly intended to prohibit undocumented immigrants from paying the lower rates — even though, as Herring argues, that state code does not specifically address young immigrants with temporary legal status.
Del. Alfonso H. Lopez (D-Arlington), who sponsored one of several recent Virginia versions of the so-called “DREAM Act” that the legislature did not pass, called the effort by Black and Ramadan “shortsighted, wrongheaded and ugly.”
Must be something in the drinking water in Loudoun County. Del. Lopez is correct. The effort by Black and Ramadan is “shortsighted, wrongheaded and ugly.” Lopez left out mean-spirited and just anti-American. It goes against everything Virginia stands for.
I come from a long line of educators. These people who dedicated their lives to both children and adults becoming as educated as possible felt that an educated society was a healthy society. Apparently Black and Ramadan don’t feel this way.
In the first place, 9,000 young people have been deferred from risk of deportation. Not all those 9,000 have the grades or the desire to go to college. If these youngsters get in to college, they would have to meet the same standards every other Virginia student meets, including residency requirements.
The families of these kids have also been living in houses that pay property taxes. Most pay Virginia income taxes and everyone pays sales tax. That old tired tax excuse just won’t work.
Basically the only reason left to deny these students in-state tuition is pure meanness which I find unacceptable. We need to make sure all kids who qualify for higher education get to go to school and become all they can be. We can’t squeeze out certain members of our population with money issues.
Sen. Black and Delegate Ramadan both sicken me. The use of MY tax dollars to exclude hard working students because of their parents’ decisions is simply not acceptable to me. I worked too many years trying to educate ALL students to find this proposed legislation in the best interests of young people, immigrants, or the people of Virginia.
So, when will military members serving in this state get in state tuition?
Why should illegal aliens get preferential treatment? IF we know that the student is an illegal alien, why are we not deporting that person and the people that brought them here illegally?
Other foreign residents do not get preferential treatment.
why do you consider residents to be getting preferential treatment? Don’t all students living in state get in-state tuition at public colleges? Doesn’t sound preferential to me. It sounds like treating them like everyone else.
These kids are not “foreign.” Most only know America as their home. Most speak fluent English and have the advantage of an American education.
Military members get to chose their “home” state, as I recall. My friends from Oregon got tuition free in Oregon. Their cars were also licensed there.
Do you really think we can deport millions of people? After this long, why would you want to deport them? Some of them have lived here for years. It seems counterproductive to me to deport good students who will only contribute to the well being of this country.
Lastly, that is really nativist thinking.
http://www.military.com/spouse/military-education/military-children-education/virginia-in-state-tuition-for-military-spouses.html
Took 2 seconds to find this reference – law was signed by Gov Kaine. Nice attempt at a troll, though.
Ask yourselves this – is it right that some kid born in Maryland can’t get in-state tuition in Virginia? Through no fault of their own?
The whole issue may well be the death of in-state tuition.
You can get in-state status if you live here a year before going to school. A kid born in Maryland can get in-state tuition. They just have to live here a year.
Minority students still receive preferential treatment for admittance. I believe illegal aliens are treated as minorities, which means that they would get preference over legal residents that have similar SAT scores and academic rankings. Moreover, at prestigious universities like UVa, there are also limits to the number of students admitted in-state — there is too much money to be made from out-of-state students who pay the full cost of tuition. So admitting illegal aliens will have the effect of squeezing out legal Va residents that have better grades and better scores.
So what. They are all kids who have grown up in the United States. Why is their status so important? How about their brothers and sisters who were born here? Those kids are citizens.
If you all want to get in a huff over something, I would start with the number of real foreign students who get let in in droves because they have to pay a lot more than American kids.
Most of the kids who aren’t super students are going to be going to NOVA and other community colleges. Its more affordable.
This is purely nativist thinking, in my opinion. Any American kid who can get in UVA is no slouch.
@Moon-howler
Because they should not be considered residents.
Why do you feel that we cannot deport people as we find them? So we don’t deport all of them. It will be an ongoing process. Eisenhower did it. Why not us?
Either we control our borders or we do not. Why have border controls if we ignore the law?
Nativist is not a derogatory term. And it would be incorrect. I have absolutely no problem with LEGAL immigration.
@Confused
Actually, I stand corrected. I did not know the law had changed.
When I use it, it is very derogatory.
That legal immigration statement is so bogus. What chance does a family from Mexico or El Salavodore really have of immigrating legally? Almost none if they don’t have a lot of money. Many of these people would immigrate legally if they only could.
I think people can be deported if they cause a problem or are criminals. Absolutely. Why would you single out a good student who was doing the right thing and attempt to deport them to a country that is only a country of their birth. Their culture is not there, it is here. Let’s single out criminals and not waste our limited resources. To pick on decent people is just wrong and well…nativist.
You are a resident if you live here. It might not be a legal resident but you are still a resident.
How things should be and how they are often are on a collision course. What would have have these kids do? Sell drugs or go to college?
The better policy discussion is trying to poke its head through in the thread. That is the fact that prestigious state schools in Virginia and elsewhere are making a killing on out-of-state tuition. The impact of treating long-time state residents who are the children of illegal immigrants is trivial in the context of this larger issue. A lot of very capable, deserving kids who have lived their entire lives in Virginia miss out at W&M, UVA, and Tech because those schools depend on the much higher out-of-state tuitions for significant portions of their revenue streams. The impact of this price structure is particularly severe in more densely populated areas of Northern Virginia. Although it might cause some substantial in-state tuition increases, I would love to see a much higher quota for in-state students and some kind of equity on admission standards (e.g., no out-of-state student can attend who does not meet the median requirements of in-state students – admit I haven’t really thought through all the implications of this, but you catch my drift).
As soon as they want to be a Resident of Virginia – or, the alternative is to be a resident of another state while they are here – and their children can attend the other states schools as a Resident. Seems like they have it both ways (not saying that as a negative).
Scout has it right. Below top tier virginia students who have money have to go to out of state schools to get into top tier schools. They are replaced at virginia schools by other rich kids from neighboring states all in the name of geographical diversity. There is value in going to school with kids educated in high schools other than N. Virginia so it makes some sense academically, but more so on improving the school’s bottom line.
You have to move into state and not be claimed on an out-of-state tax return. Schools have figured out how to keep students paying the out of state tuition for all 5 years. (Joke here about how the scholarship money to offset out-of-state tuition runs out just short of graduation for many kids who switch majors or struggle scheduling a course or two and that last year gets really expensive/profitable depending on pov.
I agree with you Moon. These measures are wrong and serve no purpose other than to be mean.
I know two dreamers who will be graduating this spring, and they both are doing well in school. I saw the report card of one of them, and I was very impressed. She got much better grades than I ever did.
As they contemplate their future, they’re not eligible for most financial aid and scholarships. They’re both from lower middle class families that don’t have the money to pay for tuition. Their only real option as I see it is to go to NOVA for two or three years while working part time and try to save up enough for George Mason or another four-year school. It’s definitely doable, and they’ll probably be better people and more confident because of it. But in-state tuition would make it a whole helluva lot less difficult.
Thanks for your comments El Guapo and for putting this problem on a real level. These students will only go to school as long as they can afford to pay.
Not being able to have a future also removes the incentive for kids to do the right thing in school.
There was an article in the Post recently on the fact that many public universities are increasingly reliant on tuition to make ends meet. In earlier times, there was more substantial state support from the general state budget. This is short-sighted and fiscally irresponsible. If there is a state interest in having reputable institutions of higher learning, it is an interest worth funding adequate. Tuition should offset some of the costs, but this is not the kind of thing that pays for itself at the fare box.
“adequate” should read “adequately” (Adverbs are the first casualties of under-funded state universities).
Ha! Good one. They are cheaping out on education in general. Of course, 40% of the teacher evaluation is based on test scores. Gotta have that accountability.