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University of California Considers Letting Some Undocumented Immigrants Pay in-State Tuition

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Undocumented immigrants living in California could get a break in tuition at the University of California under a proposal to let many of them pay the amount charged to in-state residents.

The university system's Board of Regents planned to consider the change Thursday in a meeting at the University of California, Los Angeles.

If approved, the proposal would allow all students who graduated from a California high school after three years of attendance to pay in-state tuition, regardless of immigration status. Undocumented immigrants must currently pay the higher out-of-state tuition even if they have lived in the state for years.

Immigrants would have to file for legalized status to qualify for the lower tuition.

Gov. Gray Davis and the state Legislature approved a bill last year implementing the same policy change at California State University campuses and community colleges.

University of California President Richard C. Atkinson supports the measure as a way to align policies with those of other state systems, said Brad Hayward, a spokesman for the university system. The Board of Regents has yet to take a position.

On Wednesday, 300 students staged a demonstration backing the move. Waving signs reading "Knowledge not discrimination" and "Education is a human right," they rallied for an hour outside the building where the regents were meeting on the first day of a two-day session.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

Answers

This is nuts. Out-of-state Americans pay more than illegal aliens--criminals? (Theme from Twilight Zone.)

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2002

Education is a human right but not necessarily an ability all humans have.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002

Old Git, we haven't really been serious about stopping the flow of "illegal" aliens in this country for many years now. They are routinely being allowed to enter in order to do low pay work that other "legitimate" Americans do not wish to do. Farming is one such labor, but there are also sweat shops running too, and even airport security jobs as we now know. If the airport security bosses don't care about the citizenship of the employees, who does?

For goodness sakes, even some of our highest level politicians knowingly hire these people in order to get "slave labor" without actually buying or owning them. It's just our modern version of slavery, except the illegals end up residing here for a lot of years. There is *no* serious attempt to stop this. Therefore, if an illegal is allowed to remain here, in some state, as their residence, then they should be allowed to take advantage of whatever higher education is available. Isn't that the American way? Get an education and better yourself? As far as out-of-state tuition is concerned I think that's easy. If you can show you are residing in the state you get in- state tuition.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2002

At least half the problem is because the INS couldn't keep up with legal OR illegal aliens, even if they wanted to--or other entities wanted them to. I agree--many of the illegals do scut work that many Americans don't want to do, but I don't think it's fair that they should be given in-state tuition, carte blanche. Perhaps there's a better answer, like some sort of interim program whereby if you've lived and worked here for umpty-ump years (with some kind of proof), the illegality of THAT will be overlooked if you enroll in school at an in-state rate with the difference being treated as a loan. You then pay the difference back after you graduate and go to work.

Carte blanche granting of in-state benefits isn't fair to those of us who went through the system and the background checks and went to all the trouble to become LEGAL aliens. I mean, if any illegal can get what I can get, what's the point of BEING a legal alien? There's a big enough drain on tax monies via food stamps and welfare checks as it is.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2002

Old Git, I'm sure it is a disappointment to play by the rules, jump through all the hoops, fill out all the paper work, do everything you are supposed to do (as you did) to become a citizen, and then see the illegal folks get so many benefits just by being here.

However, the INS is simply not going after them, or the businesses that hire them. There is no big secret about where they are and who is hiring them to do work. That's wide open knowledge. The IRS maintains compliance of tax laws by making arrests and closing down businesses that try to duck their rules. Why can't the INS do the same thing? Really, why don't they? You probably don't even want to know the answer to that. One more dream/reality shredded, maybe?

-- Anonymous, January 22, 2002

The INS doesn't have enough staff to track everyone; hasn't since the late 60s, at least.

-- Anonymous, January 22, 2002

And just why *is* that, Old Git? Perhaps it's not a priority item to those in Washington? Can't you smell deception here, somewhere, somehow?

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

I don't know why, Gordon, I suspect it's because INS wasn't a priority. In the late 60s, there was no serious problem with illegal immigrants. I only know the INS couldn't keep up with LEGAL immigrants and stopped tracking us. I believe that once the unscrupulous discovered that, they started arriving in this country as ilegals. If you know you're not going to be tracked via your temporary tourist or student's visa, then you can disappear into the crowd. The situation snowballed to the crisis point we're at today and which helped to allow the terrorists into the country.

A guest worker program might be the solution. Something has to be done or the illegals, who pay little or no taxes, will bring down the social services system--and the taxpayer who is stuck with all the bills. What will we do without the illegals? Well, we'll probably increase the wages of scut jobs above that of unemployment and welfare payments so that Americans will take. Around here, where there's a shortage of service workers (but not high-tech workers), you can make $9-10/hour flipping burgers. I was paying $12/hour for someone reliable to clean my house.

No doubt better minds than mine will sort out the problem.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Let's hope better minds are making more than 5 dollars an hour and less than 200.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002