Maryland Senator Proposes In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants

Maryland Senator Victor Ramirez
Newly elected Maryland Senator Victor Ramirez is planning to introduce legislation that allows illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates when attending college within the state. This would be an option only for those who spent two years at a state high school. The tuition break comes out to around $15,000 when comparing in-state rates to those that out of state students pay. The democratic governor of Maryland stated he would sign the bill for in-state tuition. Ramirez believes that the bill has a better chance of passing due to the new makeup of the state senate. The requirements for receiving the in-state tuition rate include attending two years of high school in the state of Maryland, having parents who pay income tax, and signing a sworn affidavit to complete the paperwork to become a United States citizen.
This legislation is not being met with total support though. Delegate Pat McDonough has stated that he plans to introduce 15 new bills that will crack down on illegal immigration rather than giving tuition breaks. McDonough wants to include some proposals that will ban colleges from giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition rates. He doesn’t believe it is fair to taxpayers or law-abiding citizens to allow undocumented immigrants to receive those tuition rates.

This proposed legislation offering in-state tuition to illegal immigrants comes after President Obama supported the DREAM Act. This act would have provided children whose parents brought them here illegally a path to citizenship. The DREAM Act failed during the lame duck period in congress. Legislation like what Ramirez is proposing has been the subject of much debate on the state and federal level. It will be interesting to see if this legislation is able to pass.
Via Baltimore Sun