Some of New Jersey’s poorest residents – the children of undocumented aliens – are ineligible for in-state tuition rates at state-run universities and colleges, making higher education unaffordable, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective’s newest report made public Tuesday. Children brought to the United States by parents without proper documentation often pay out-of-state tuition rates to attend the schools, even if they have spent a majority of their lives in the country and have graduated from a New Jersey high school. Out-of-state tuition rates are often double the rates charged to in-state residents and pose a significant financial burden for many undocumented students, the report declares.
“College tuition is already a costly endeavor for many New Jersey families,” said NJPP Policy Analyst Anastasia R. Mann, who wrote the report, “Garden State Dreams: In-state Tuition for Undocumented Kids.” NJPP is a Trenton-based think tank.
“That’s because the state has reduced its investment in higher education over the last 20 years,” Mann said. “Because undocumented families earn an average of 40 percent less in income than legal immigrants or citizens, the cost becomes an insurmountable hurdle.”
The report examines the impact of New Jersey’s current policy on the children of undocumented aliens, the state’s colleges, taxpayers and the state as a whole. It finds that when immigrant students cannot fulfill their potential, it is not only the students who pay the price; the entire state pays.
“Students are not the only ones to come out ahead when the path to college is made more accessible to them,” Mann said. “Offering them resident tuition rates also helps stimulate the overall economy. As tuition becomes more affordable, families can use their tuition savings to meet other needs, which circulates this money back into the economy.”
Legislation introduced early in 2008 by state Senators Ronald L. Rice (D-Essex), M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) and Sandra B. Cunningham (D-Hudson) would allow undocumented students to pay in-state rates if they met the following four requirements:
- Attend a New Jersey high school for three or more years;
- Graduate or receive the equivalent of a high school diploma from a New Jersey high school;
- Register to enter or be currently enrolled in a public institution of higher education no earlier than the fall of 2008; and
- Fill out an affidavit with the college or university stating that he or she has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status.
The bill, S-1036, is supported by the president of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities Daryl Greer, the former director of the New Jersey Higher Education Commission Jane Oates and Gov. Jon Corzine. It is opposed by Gov.-elect Chris Christie.
The report states that research suggests that tuition equality actually helps lower spending on prisons, welfare, healthcare and other social services, while bringing in millions of dollars in taxes from these more educated workers. The report also states there is evidence to suggest that higher education leads to improved health and raises voting and volunteerism levels.
Federal and state laws mandate free public education for all children, regardless of their immigration status, through the 12th grade. However, once students graduate from high school, the law is vague about which students will pay in-state tuition and which will not, stating only that students must have maintained their primary residence in the state for at least 12 months to qualify for in-state tuition. This has resulted in a hodge-podge of policies at the state’s colleges and universities.
In addition, undocumented status prevents college students from receiving Tuition Assistance Grants, a means-tested entitlement, or money from NJ Stars, which allows students in the top 15 percent of every high school graduating class to attend community college for free. Federal law also restricts the money undocumented students have access to for higher education by barring them from federal student assistance including subsidized work-study programs. Most private scholarships require applicants to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
Although there are no good estimates of the number of undocumented students who would seek a college education if these students were charged in-state tuition rates, based on the experiences of other states, the study finds few would avail themselves of a four-year degree. Instead, most would attend community colleges, where enrollment can be increased more easily.
“New Jersey should do the right thing and join the 11 states that already allow undocumented students to quality for in-state tuition rates regardless of their immigration status,” Mann said. NJN.
It’s enough that we pay for them from birth through high school. If they want college, let them either pay full tuition or go back to Mexico. I’m sure the University of Guadalajara would be happy to educate them.
Will this make NJ even more attractive to illegals? Then, in the long run, we will not be saving money-we’ll have more people to deal with.
I believe anyone who breaks the law is a criminal, we don’t get to pick and chose which laws we follow. If you are undocumented you are breaking the law. Undocumented students along with their parents should be arrested and deported. The the federal government should start enforcing the law.
Dear Mr President:
I’m about to plan a little trip with my family and extended family, and I would like to ask you to assist me. I’m going to walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and I need to make a few arrangements. I know you can help with this.
I plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws. I’m sure they handle those things the same way you do here.
So, would you mind telling your buddy, President of Mexico, that I’m on my way over? Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:
1. Free medical care for my entire family.
2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.
3. All government forms need to be printed in English.
4. I want my kids to be taught by English-speaking teachers.
5. Schools need to include classes on American culture and history.
6. I want my kids to see the American flag flying on the top of the flag pole at their school with the Mexican flag flying lower down.
7. Please plan to feed my kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.
8. I will need a local Mexican driver’s license so I can get easy access to government services.
9. I do not plan to have any car insurance, and I won’t make any effort to learn local traffic laws.
10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from the Pres to leave me alone, please be sure that all police officers speak English.
11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.
12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, and don’t enforce any labor laws or tax laws.
13. Please tell all the people in the country to be extremely nice and never say a critical word about me, or about the strain I might place on the economy.
I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all the people who come to the U.S. from Mexico.
lets leave it this way as we scale back
Hershel for Mayor!!!!!
Shimmis pants for mayor!
jimmy for mayor
Hay #4 why dont you go to Mexico then cross back over here as Guadilipo. Then you can have all of that for free over here. Just a thought
So let me get this straight. If the state kicks in 20 or 30 grand to loawer the tuition cost, the parents of these kids will have 20 or 30 grand more money to spend and this will help the economy. Why not just cut out the middle man and let the taxpayers who would fund this put the money straight into the economy?!
#4 HELPCROSSING…..DEAD ON…..CAN I GO WITH YOU, THEN AS #9 SAYS COME BACK AND GET IT ALL FOR FREE, BEST 2 COMMENTS IVE SEEN IN A LONG LONG TIME.
How sad that the state of NJ should care more about an illegal aliens education than we care about one of our own fellow yidden’s daughters. Look how pathetic we have become. And don’t say it is because there is no room. Each year we go through the same dance and the room is found. Its all about elitism and which school will get the top students. You see our govt doesn’t care. They realize even an outsider deserves an education. And we turn our own away. Why when something bad happens do we always glom onto tznius, yet we ignore the mountains of sinas chinom we attract when we conduct ourselves in this manner regarding girls schools. I am in chinuch and I am disgusted at my fellow mechanchim that sit back and say they are being abused for helping the rabbim. We need to make sure nobody gets hurt by our actions. We need to change the system as was already discussed.