Posted on 12/13/2014 10:26:42 PM PST by Coleus
The approval comes one year after Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill into law allowing certain undocumented immigrants to pay in-state college tuition rates. In 2013, Christie and Democratic leaders reached a compromise to remove a clause in the bill that also would have offered the same undocumented immigrants state aid to help pay for their higher education.
“We have the opportunity to allow all children in this state now to go to college and to go to college in an affordable manner. It provides opportunity and it makes New Jersey the kind of place that all of us want to live in,” said bill co-sponsor, Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic).
One of Christie’s concerns last year was that signing the bill into law would make New Jersey a “magnet state” for foreign-born students from other states. What makes Schaer think that the governor will support his bill the second time around?
“I think that we’ve learned from all of our history that compromises that were made in the past can be changed in the future,” Schaer said. “Not to agree to this bill means precluding a thousand, two thousand young men and women from achieving the same dream that all of us have for all of our children.”
The money to support expanding aid programs would come from an existing fund which would not be enlarged under Schaer’s legislation. He said while no legal New Jersey citizens would get squeezed out by making undocumented immigrants eligible, they would receive slightly less state aid. He called the amount, “de minimis.”
Any student who is eligible for in-state tuition would also be eligible for state financial aid under the bill. The measure is co-sponsored by Assembly Speaker Vinnie Prieto (D-Secaucus) and Assembly members Gordon Johnson (D-Teaneck) and Annette Quijano (D-Union).
“Many families are being priced out of college. These students are simply asking for the same aid that is afforded to all students who want to attend college in the state,” Prieto said in a press release. “Who benefits from hindering a student who wants to continue his or her education?”
When Christie conditionally vetoed the bill last year before the compromise deal was struck some said he was treating undocumented immigrants like second-class citizens. The governor disagreed.
“You can’t be a second-class citizen if you’re not a citizen in the first place,” said Christie when he signed the revised bill. “I’m sorry, but they’re getting a lot more than they’ve ever gotten before.”
The fiscal year 2015 budget approved by the Legislature included a provision to extend state financial aid assistance to undocumented students, but it was line item vetoed out by the governor.
what do you expect from the prnj?
Chris Blowhard would only waste his breath and money if he decided to join the 2016 GOP Primaries.
He’s only going to enter a couple of states, and try to take enough votes away from the three serious contenders. He’s trying to force down a position on the cabinet or the VP slot....that’s all. Personally, after the bridge episode...he’s not the kind of guy you’d want around.
Chris Christie is still to the right of Rick Perry on tuition.
Only Rick Perry and 2 other states give tuition aid to illegals.
He’s just trying to sucker the illegals into staying in New Jersey, so there will be someone left to pay the property taxes for the state pension programs.
Governor Christie believes that aliens who are in NJ in violation of the law should pay lower tuition than my children from out of state if they wanted to legally attend a NJ college. This man is no conservative, no supporter of the rule of law, and not the man to restore the Constitution. I will not under any circumstances vote for him for any office - we need an honest president, not yet another crook.
Although my yearly salary was high enough to place us out of the range of financial assistance according to prevailing standards, I had gone through a divorce, just obtained a Ph. D., and was the sole supporting parent of four high school students. We could only afford to rent, and then only rather mean accomodations. I was starting at the beginning again, rather than leaning back on a cushion of savings. I could not even borrow to finance a decent car. But we had food and clothing.
I could not send them to college because help based on their academic excellence was not forthcoming. In the end, my children found ways to make their mark, but obtaining an education was far tougher than that of the mediocre "under-privileged" yutes. Apparently, my children were counted as being too privileged.
Now, our government is setting up alien intruders to take away the privileges of even our "under-privileged" class, rather than deporting them and letting the economics of their place of origin be modified to "advantage" them ion their own homeland, not disadvantage us!
He said while no legal New Jersey citizens would get squeezed out by making undocumented immigrants eligible, they would receive slightly less state aid.
like Obama saying if you like your doctor you keep your doctor period.
If I were a citizen paying out of state college tuition in NJ I would sue NJ citing discrimination, racism over this issue as non-citizens are giving more favore than legal residents.
15-17 states do it
Jersey college student parents should now flood his office and home with college bills parents are paying at top rate! Kind of like kiddies sending santa a wish list! bags and bags
Christy should run against Hitlery! and Lizzie Warren in the democrat primaries.
There’s aid and instate tuition rates.
Christie only gave them the rates not the aid. Im sure, naturally, as illegals, they lie and cheat to get the aid.
Black students don’t need college aid money so....
They’re also eligible for the aid. It’s right in the summary posted.
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