Illegal Immigrants And College

[80sU2isBest]

I don't usually start threads (but I am addicted to jumping into the fray once they're started), but I thought I should let you know that my state is one of 8 that gives illegal immigrants in-state tuition rates. Meanhwile US citizen Joe Schmoe from New York has to pay about 2 times the in-state rates to go to school here.

Illegal immigrants can also be given grants and financial aid for college.

Isn't that peachy?

 

[BVS]

How long do they have to live there?

 

[financeguy]

Strange.

Over on this side of the pond, college education is heavily subsidised and in fact tuition fees for undergraduate degrees are currently entirely free in Ireland (though as far as I know it does not cover books, course materials).

However (as far as I know) a non-EU citizen studying in Ireland must pay full unsubsidised tuition fees.

But how can a college give illegal immigrants grants, etc.

Wouldn't they be under some kind of obligation to report the illegal immigrant to the government?

 

[randhail]

Illegal immigrants attending classes help boost racial diversity and broaden demographics. We all know how colleges love to boost those things and then brag about them in their catalogues.

 

[80sU2isBest]

BVS,
3 years.

Meanwhile, legal immigrants have to pay out-of-state state rates.

 

[80sU2isBest]

But how can a college give illegal immigrants grants, etc.

Wouldn't they be under some kind of obligation to report the illegal immigrant to the government?

That's what I thought.

 

[BVS]

BVS,
3 years.

Meanwhile, legal immigrants have to pay out-of-state state rates.

So they were minors when they came to the states? I think the law is completely different for minors, I can't remember the specifics but I'll try and look it up.

Plus out of state students can establish state residency less than 3 years in order to pay state tuition.

 

[80sU2isBest]

So they were minors when they came to the states? I think the law is completely different for minors, I can't remember the specifics but I'll try and look it up.

Plus out of state students can establish state residency less than 3 years in order to pay state tuition.

The onl;y prerequisite I know of is that they had to have graduated from a Texas high school. I don't think they had to have come to the country as minors.

 

[nbcrusader]

The cost of illegal immigration is staggering, yet usually not reported or under-reported.


As for the government doing something about it - illegal immigration is the new tabacco

 

[melon]

I have to agree with you. The benefits we give to illegal immigrants are mindblowingly stupid. It's crazy.

But, on the other side, they contribute $8 billion a year to Social Security that they'll never be able to reclaim.

Melon

 

[Pearl]

I think its incredibly wrong. Its not fair for legal immigrants or American-born citizens to save every penny to pay for their tuition, or spend many years paying off loans, meanwhile these people who aren't here legally are enjoying a free pass.

It makes you wonder how much does Congress care about Americans if they allow illegal immigrants to have things so easily yet their own citizens have to struggle. Its like its almost pointless to be a citizen; you're better off being illegal.

 

[deep]

Meanwhile, legal immigrants have to pay out-of-state state rates.

Joe Schmoe from New York can attend college where he lives at a lesser rate.



So if my neighbor, who came to this country when he was 6 months old and is a CA resident wanted to attend a Texas College he would be charged more.

So really, the preference is FOR Texas residences?

 

[Rono]

I have to agree with you. The benefits we give to illegal immigrants are mindblowingly stupid. It's crazy.

But, on the other side, they contribute $8 billion a year to Social Security that they'll never be able to reclaim.

Melon

and it is o so nice and usefull that illegal immigrants are the cheapest workers.

 

[BAW]

So should a college student who who has lived in Texas his/her entire life be penalized because of a choice the parents made? Being brought across the border illegally as a child isn't something they had any control over.

I guess you could say the parents should have thought about that before they made the choice to break the law but again, why should someone who was not of legal age when they were brought here be held responsible for the parent's choice?

 

[melon]

I'm often reminded of the "Bear Patrol" episode of "The Simpsons." A bear wanders into Springfield, everyone gets scared, and so they spend what seems like billions of dollars on a "Bear Patrol." No bears show up, so they presume the "Bear Patrol" is working.

But they start running out of money, and, rather than blaming the exorbitant spending on the "Bear Patrol," Mayor Quimby blames it on "illegal immigrants." Thus, all of Springfield's financial woes are now the result of "illegal immigrants," not the "Bear Patrol."

I find it all the more funny that this episode was created in 1996, not in the post-9/11 world that now has its own form of "Bear Patrol" and blames everything on illegal immigrants. Forget the fact that we've cut taxes to the point of irresponsibility, while many Fortune 500 companies these days pay little to no taxes. Frankly, we get what we pay for, or, in this case, we reap what we've elected into office: a bunch of xenophobic, ethnocentric, nationalistic, scapegoating, do-nothing buffoons.

Melon

 

[Irvine511]

I'm often reminded of the "Bear Patrol" episode of "The Simpsons." A bear wanders into Springfield, everyone gets scared, and so they spend what seems like billions of dollars on a "Bear Patrol." No bears show up, so they presume the "Bear Patrol" is working.

Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm.
Lisa: That's specious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: Thank you, dear.
Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
Homer: Oh, how does it work?
Lisa: It doesn't work.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.

 

[VertigoGal]

It's a balance...on the one hand, migrant workers and illegal immigrants in general help keep prices low and will always be necessary to some degree. No one in the government will ever work to completely bar illegal immigrants. On the other hand, they are putting a huge burden on government programs, mostly in a few particular states. It is a problem, it's not imaginary, it needs to be controlled. Not that I have any idea how...

Anyway, I suppose it's good that this rule will mainly benefit people who were brought here as kids. It wasn't really their fault, college education helps integrate immigrants into society, etc. It is kind of crappy how much you have to pay to go out of state though, I guess I'll be stuck in Georgia forever...

 

[nbcrusader]

So should a college student who who has lived in Texas his/her entire life be penalized because of a choice the parents made? Being brought across the border illegally as a child isn't something they had any control over.

I guess you could say the parents should have thought about that before they made the choice to break the law but again, why should someone who was not of legal age when they were brought here be held responsible for the parent's choice?

I'm not sure it is a penalty. The child has already received the benefit of services of this country (elementary school) and the parents have presumably enjoyed a higher income since they entered this country.

To simply add on more benefits increases the burden to the rest of society.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

I'm not sure it is a penalty. The child has already received the benefit of services of this country (elementary school) and the parents have presumably enjoyed a higher income since they entered this country.

To simply add on more benefits increases the burden to the rest of society.

Surely it has to be regarded as a penalty - it would mean that the child of an illegal immigrant couldn't qualify for a lower-rate of tuition despite the fact that their place of residence would otherwise qualify them for the lower-rate. In addition, denying access to student loans or grants is certainly a penalty.

 

[AvsGirl41]

I should dig around the local paper archives and try to find it. This was an issue that recently became a hot button one when an illegal wanted to attend CU, but would have to pay out of state if he did so.

If he attended my school, they said he could get the in state. But no. He wanted to go to CU-Boulder because my school wasn't good enough for him.

Finally, someone in government handed him the money to go to CU-Boulder and he ended up going for free, if I remember correctly.

It's that kind of a story that feels like a real slap in the face to the poorer college student.

 

[melon]

I'm not sure it is a penalty. The child has already received the benefit of services of this country (elementary school) and the parents have presumably enjoyed a higher income since they entered this country.

Not that I'm justifying illegal immigration, but they presumably don't enjoy that much higher of an income. The perceived benefit of hiring illegal labor is that you don't have to worry about minimum wage laws or other labor laws that supply-siders would love to throw away.

Melon

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

I don't see how it affects you that someone else is getting help. You should be upset if they were talking something away from you and nobody is.

I'm telling you this because I live in Honduras and would've loved to be able to study at the states but I couldn't afford it.

Don't be mad about someone else's blessings if they aren't your curse.

 

[BVS]

So should a college student who who has lived in Texas his/her entire life be penalized because of a choice the parents made? Being brought across the border illegally as a child isn't something they had any control over.

I guess you could say the parents should have thought about that before they made the choice to break the law but again, why should someone who was not of legal age when they were brought here be held responsible for the parent's choice?

 

[xtal]

My friend attended UAA on scholarships throughout her four years. Not once was she eligible for any grants, or the permanent fund that Alaskan residents get.
She is now in law school in Florida, and she said she took out a college loan, for which she has to pay back. She also said she wished she got just a little bit of a grant to help her out.

Maybe they get loans but not grants? Sounds fair play to me.
And they have to become US citizens before they get to work here, meaning a lengthy test and a hefty fee.

 

[Rono]

And they have to become US citizens before they get to work here, meaning a lengthy test and a hefty fee.

i hope you mean *legal Immigrants* instead of US citizens

 

[xtal]

Is that what they're still labeled?
I thought they were Naturalized US citizens.

Huh, maybe I just don't get it...

 

[BonosSaint]

I think Rono means legal residents, those who can legally live in the US who do not have citizenzhip status.

 

[nbcrusader]

Surely it has to be regarded as a penalty - it would mean that the child of an illegal immigrant couldn't qualify for a lower-rate of tuition despite the fact that their place of residence would otherwise qualify them for the lower-rate. In addition, denying access to student loans or grants is certainly a penalty.

Only if you deem lower rates, loans or grants as guaranteed rights.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Only if you deem lower rates, loans or grants as guaranteed rights.

Lower rates of tuition as well as access to loans and grants would be rights guaranteed to residents of the state in question, correct?

 

[nbcrusader]

Lower rates are given to resident citizens. I'm not sure that creates a "right" to lower rates.