Illegal Immigrants Qualify for Tuition Reduction?

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I'm from Maryland, so I just became aware of this issue yesterday. Evidently, Maryland is about to join 10 other states in the U.S. that allow illegal immigrants to attend their universities for the same cost of the state residents.

For those unfamiliar with the U.S. college/university system, every state in the U.S. has one or more "state schools". State schools differ from entirely private colleges and universities in that residents of that state only have to pay about half of what non-state residents pay to attend the university. To use the University of Maryland - as that is the specific school that the article references: People living in Maryland can attend UofM for about $8,000 per year, while people who do not live in Maryland but wish to attend UofM pay about $16,000 per year.

What this law will do is allow people who are in the country illegally - but are currently living in Maryland - to attend the school at the same rate as the legal residents of the state.

I cannot say that I agree with this idea. Afterall, they are here illegally - why should they get the same breaks as people who are here legally? I say make them attain residency first, and then give them the tuition reduction.

I am fully aware that there are currently thousands of students who are not U.S. residents studying at U.S. universities. Many of them are receiving full or partial scholarships and therefore are attending the universities for greatly reduced cost. However, in these cases, they have received the reduced tuition based on merit - usually they have very good grades. If they don't have the grades, then they pay the same rate as everyone else who does not live in the state.

In the proposed law, however, the tuition reduction is granted to any state resident. I guess my main problem is I don't see how you can be a legal resident of Maryland, while being an illegal resident of the U.S. It's just so counterintuitive. If you are in the country illegally, then naturally you are also illegally living in whatever state in the U.S. you happen to be at the time.

 

It boggles the imagination. Most states are in a fiscal crunch and they choose to spend the money educating criminals. Call me a big meanie if you must, but if you are here illegally you are a criminal. I don't care how nice of a person you are, or what your sob story is. Go back to where you came from, apply for a visa, and enter the country legally like so many millions have before you. Here in my office I work with people from so many different nations it is almost like a United Nations summit. They, even more than myself, are vehemently opposed to things like this. They followed the rules, they paid the fees, they file their taxes, and even better they eventually apply for citizenship and they merge their culture into the great melting pot that is American society. They are a blessing to have here and it is a privledge to know them. We need more people like this than criminals who do nothing but sponge off of the society and yet refuse to become a part of it.

 

I think that's my biggest problem with this. There isn't something magical about being a Maryland resident that it costs less to educate you than someone living out of state. It costs exactly the same. So it is through state taxes that the difference is made up. Not only are we reducing the cost of education to people who are here illegally, we are funding it through tax revenue, paid largely by people who are here legally.

 

Aldeth, you're right, it's crazy... but what'cha gonna do?

American policy with regards to the illegal immigrants problem seems to be that there is no problem. If we no longer call them illegal immigrants then they're no longer illegal immigrants and then there's no more problem! Hey-hey-hey! And if we make murder legal we'll cut crime rates in HALF!

 

OTOH, not educating immigrants - wether illegal or not - will create an underclass that results in high unemployment and high crime rate.

 

That's the Federal Government's position. For reasons of their own, the Feds are bending over backwards to help the illegals. Apparently some States are following suit. In the meantime the majority of common citizens are against illegal immigration and want something meaningful done. The government's solution is "comprehensive" immigration reform, which is sophistry plain and simple. Basically the Feds could care less what the American people think about this issue (and many others) because they have their own axe to grind regarding illegals in general and Mexico in particular. The Feds don't want to upset Mexico because it is a source of cheap labor that the oligarchs who rule us salivate over and are dying to tap into. Imagine how much more they can make when they can have their goods made in Mexico rather than in China. Either way they will have a good source of wage slaves at their disposal. In the meantime the average American citizen suffers while non-citizens feed at the public trough. This whole situation is disgusting. Personally, I find it incredible that any American citizen wouldn't be outraged by the fact that we are being overrun with illegals. Some aren't, though because they defend these scofflaws.

The Great Snook got it right in his post.

By the way, I live in Mexico City Norte and it's really, really bad here.

 

If you paid a fair price for goods, the Mexicans or whoever you are complaining about now wouldn't need to leave their own country.

 

I don't have a problem with immigrants in general or Mexican immigrants in particular. Heck, most of the nation is made up of people who can trace their roots to a foreign country. Less than 100 years ago, everyone in my family was living in Italy or Czekoslovakia, and on my wife's side, a little over 100 years ago, all of her family lived in Italy or Ireland.

My problem is that there are millions of Americans - some of whom are immigrants, some of whom were born here - that are too poor to attend college. If these people want to lift themselves up, they likely are going to need an education to get there. Yet, we are making things less expensive for the people here illegally, rather than trying to help the people who are here legally. I guess my point is you should get your own house in order before you start trying to help others. If education was affordable to Average Joe, then sure, helping out the illegals in getting an education may be a means of improving society further. Until then, take care of the ones who are legal before taking care of illegals.

 

The fault lies with the captains of industry who are greedy for profit at any cost, with average Americans who are addicted to cheap goods and the Mexican government who has much to gain by encouraging their poor to go to the U.S. One could certainly argue that the business moguls are merely giving people what they want and that the people are talking out of both sides of their mouth. Unfortunately, I don't see this problem being resolved anytime soon. The politicians are counting future votes from the descendants of the illegals and the American people are sitting fat an happy in a house of cards with no inkling of anything beyond what they see on television.

 

Sorry my post wasn't directed at anyone in particular.

There is a lot of xenophobia and racism these days, and it is a worry that the anti-immigrant attitudes can lead to racism becoming mainstream.

I also think its unfair to expect people living in Mexico or Ghana to live in horrible conditions so that we can enjoy cheap food.