Higher education chief deems in-state students of immigrants paying out-of-state tuition unfair
On Aug. 14, the Colorado legislature passed official legislation allowing the children of illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition at state colleges and universities in Colorado.
Students are eligible if they are United States citizens. The requirements are the same as those for all students claiming residency; students must be able to prove they have lived in Colorado for at least 12 months, are taxpayers and have a valid driver’s license.
State Attorney General John Suthers looked into the law after David Skaggs, the state higher-education chief, expressed concern about in-state students of illegal immigrants being asked to pay out-of-state tuition.
After careful research of the law, Suthers maintained that while the parents of such students may indirectly benefit from the cut in tuition cost, it is the student that applies for and accepts the tuition rate, not the parents.
While the topic has been hotly debated, it was concluded that the student with legal residency is the legal recipient of the public benefit.
Bronson Hillard, CU’s director of university communications, said CU agrees with Suthers’ interpretation of the law.
“The Colorado attorney general’s interpretation of the law is identical to the CU interpretation. Domicile, a fancy word for residency, means that you have been living in Colorado for a year. If the laws for citizenship change that is up to the legislature, all we can do is look at the law as it is and follow it. We look at the student, not the parents,” Hillard said.
Samantha Silberberg, 20, a junior advertising major, said she thinks children of illegal immigrants should be eligible for in-state tuition.
“It doesn’t make sense to prevent students from getting an education simply because their parents are undocumented workers. If the students are American citizens they should receive the same tuition breaks as any other Colorado resident,” Silberberg said.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Natalie Veltman at natalie.veltman@colorado.edu
