Posted on 02/15/2010 5:06:19 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
YES
Ah, illegal immigration. Next to gay marriage and abortion, the issue is guaranteed to incite some of the most visceral, impassioned debates in the political arena.
Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines, had to realize as much when he introduced a bill that would allow illegal immigrants accepted into community colleges or state universities to receive in-state tuition rates. The individual would have to have attended an accredited school in Iowa for at least five years before graduating from high school and, if he or she didn’t have a Social Security number, the individual would be required to “pursue citizenship in the United States at the earliest possible time.”
I can see the demagogic campaign commercial already, replete with bold lettering, nefarious characters, and overly zealous outrage. “And while YOU were working hard and working through this tough economy, the LIBERAL Democrats in the Legislature were handing out your money to ILLEGALS at state universities.”
Opponents of the bill have some legitimate financial concerns. With a gaping budget hole, giving undocumented immigrants in-state tuition surely wouldn’t help the state’s finances.
First off, this relatively parochial debate overlooks the root causes of illegal immigration. The United States’ trade policies have contributed to the exodus of immigrants from their home countries, and our too-strict immigration policies have criminalized their basic yearning for a better life.
And at its core, the tuition issue is one of fairness: Should the children of illegal immigrants be punished for the country’s broken immigration system? Should recently graduated illegal immigrants, brought to the United States by their parents, be denied the chance to further their education and contribute to society?
Higher education has two principal goals: to help students develop the skills critical to participating in our democracy and to prepare them for postgraduation employment. To deny either of those to children of illegal immigrants is to ostracize them and stultify their civic and educational development.
Hard-working immigrants shouldn’t be penalized for wanting to further their education. They’re just as Iowan as any other Iowa native.
— by Shawn Gude
NO
Granting illegal immigrants in-state tuition is to be ignorant of Iowa’s current budgetary situation. The Iowa Legislature has made deep budget cuts in recent months, and the state Board of Regents just approved a 6 percent tuition increase for the next school year. As always, tuition increases fill funding gaps left by cuts from state appropriations. Given that tuition increases every year to fill gaps in the budget, why would any Iowa legislator in her or his right mind push for a law that would further burden the budget?
Letting illegal immigrants receive in-state tuition rates is a slap across the face to lifelong Iowa residents who have invested in their state’s institutions of higher learning their entire working lives with their tax dollars. The fact that illegal immigrants do not pay Iowa income taxes means they should pay out-of-state tuition rates, just as the myriad of students from Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other states do every year.
Supporters of the bill suggest the mythical $1 million, college “lifetime earnings boost” would make up for the fact that illegal immigrants did not previously invest in Iowa’s colleges with income taxes but could do so with the earnings boost gained from attending college. Whatever the sum, no legislator or supporter of the bill can guarantee any amount of the money gained would wind up as tax revenue for Iowa or that the student wouldn’t take their degree and move to a different state for higher wages, as many Iowans do each year.
Going back to the out-of-state tuition analogy, granting illegal immigrants in-state tuition would be akin to allowing students from Illinois to receive in-state tuition if they promise to live in Iowa after graduation and pay Iowa taxes. If that deal seems hard to enforce, it’s because it would be nearly impossible to enforce — and would leave citizens of Iowa and the United States picking up the tab at a later date.
— by Jonathan Groves
No
It’ll surprise folks, but I think illegal aliens should get in-state tuition breaks.
The only stipulation would be that state would be one located in Mexico.
Ship them off quick so they can get an education and help their homeland, and quit sapping ours dry.
Come on people. Ya’ll need to chill. The only real solution is to not charge any tuition at all. They are gonna raise the money for it by selling their food stamps anyway. Just simplify it.
And as far as the whole immigration issue goes, it seems reading the panty bomber his rights grants him what? Not jack shit, IMO. But APPARENTLY, just reading a Miranda warning grants him citizen-like status. So what we need to do is set up turnstiles at the borders that pop up a Social Security card and a Miranda warning when you come through. No need for TSA. No need for Homeland Security. No need for Customs. No need for Border Patrol. No need for those pesky passports unless you want OUT... It’s just a win-win-win-win-win...
Ya think?
If true, why did Bush and the Republicans all but ignore this in 2004?
Anyone....Anyone???
You're going to get the political groupies upset with talk like that.
you forgot another reason:
They take seats in colleges away from AMERICANS.
Every state university student, in state or out of state, is subsidized by state taxpayers.
Step up and write checks, Jonathan.
Hoover, Truman and Eisenhower deported illegal aliens so that US Citizens coming home from the Wars could locate jobs.
We have nearly double digit unemployment [reported, actual ratio is close to twice the reported]. Until our unemployment ratio is less than 3%, the US should DEPORT ALL illegal aliens and anyone working on a visitor or student visa. Any illegal alien who has been convicted of any crime including Driving without a license or insurance, will be barred from returning to the US.
Children who are born to Illegal Aliens cannot return to the US until they turn 18 or until they have lived in their parents’ home Country for ten years, whichever comes last.
Give the deportees who have never accepted Welfare or been convicted of ANY crime a plastic card giving them first choice to apply for a Green Card when the US unemployment rates is under 3%. Any illegal alien who has received any form of Welfare cannot apply for a Green Card until the unemployment rates is less than 2%.
DEPORT ILLEGAL ALIENS. US CITIZENS NEED THE JOBS AND US CITIZENS SHOULD GET THE JOBS FIRST.
Actually the out of state in Iowa probably pay more than their pro rated share (they subsidize the in state students).
Iowa is trending this way. Since 2000 the state share of the education budget per pupil has remained flat while the growth in cost per pupil has been about 4%/yr. Now the split is about 50/50 (state support and tuition).
If I could get back my prorated share which I have paid in state taxes, I would be in favor of going to non-subsidized education. Since I have been paying into the system for 25 years, I am less inclined to be in favor now that my kids are reaching college age.
You're going to get the political groupies upset with talk like that.
Oh, you must be talking about those "conservatives" that condone it when a Republican governor like Rick Perry grants in-state tuition to illegal aliens by would strongly condemn a Democratic governor for granting in-state tuition to illegal alines?
Oh, you must be talking about those “conservatives” that condone it when a Republican governor like Rick Perry grants in-state tuition to illegal aliens but would strongly condemn a Democratic governor for granting in-state tuition to illegal alines?
You’ll love this. I work at one of the state universities.
Funds basically come from 3 sources: tuition, grants and the state subsidy.
If you take a department like chemistry, the amount in subsidy is more than the amount from grants.
Meaning, the university is spending $2 to get $1 back in grants.
They see dollar signs in these half-million or more grants, but they’re losing money on the deal. The state really needs to audit the universities.
Wow. My daughter is thinking Biochemistry (will go to the University with the best deal) on her way to Med School she hopes.
My father-in-law spent his career at a state university (was head of a department for 14 years). He hated the grant system and the unwillingness of professors to go into the classrooms to teach.
When I was at UIowa some years back, about 40% of the students were from the Chicago metro area. The story I heard was that tuition at Iowa as an out of state was lower than what they would get paying instate tuition in IL (plus there’s Kinnick, the gyro stand and the Sports Column).
Oh, and at least the people from IL are in the freaking country legally.
NO, No, NO AND NO!
We have a winner here!!! Keep these illegals away from our colleges. Or, at least don't subsidize them. They're discriminating against our citizens in favor of outsiders who pay no taxes.
Sure! Let the muslims give all the "murkin's" money, land, rights, and everything else to the mexicans.
Yeah, like that.
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