Lawmakers set to debate immigrant tuition bill

BOSTON --Undocumented immigrant students rallied at the Statehouse Tuesday for passage of a bill that would allow them to pay the same lower tuition rate at state colleges as other Massachusetts residents.

The measure, which has support from Attorney General Tom Reilly but is opposed by Gov. Mitt Romney and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, was scheduled to come up for debate in the House on Wednesday.

"We earn our seat in college because we worked hard throughout high school," Patricia Oliviera, a student who would be impacted by the bill, told reporters. "We just want to be able to attend at an affordable rate."

Some amendments filed Tuesday would require that the students obtain an individual taxpayer identification number and apply for citizenship or legal permanent residency within 120 days of being eligible to do so.

A third amendment would make it clear that only students who have attended three or more years of high school in Massachusetts and have either graduated from a Massachusetts high school or achieved a general educational development (GED) certificate issued within the state would be eligible for the discounted tuition rate.

Reilly, a Democratic candidate for governor, urged lawmakers in a letter released Tuesday to support the legislation and adopt the three amendments.

"These are students who want to be here, want to stay here and want to be productive members of our work force," Reilly wrote.

The attorney general also cited a report by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, released last week, that said letting undocumented immigrants who graduate from Bay State high schools pay in-state tuition rates would generate up to $5.7 million in new revenues by 2009.

Healey, who could face Reilly in this fall's election, opposes the legislation. She has argued that it would reward illegal behavior and create a costly precedent for the state. Romney has said he'd veto it.

Some Democratic lawmakers have been working on a bill that would withstand the governor's veto. Nine other states have passed similar bills.

Out-of-state students pay about $25,000 a year in fees and tuition compared with just $9,300 for students who graduate from Massachusetts high schools.