Lower tuition rate for undocumented immigrants sought
Advocates for immigrants and refugees yesterday renewed their demand for cheaper, in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants at state colleges, saying the results of the fall elections show that the Legislature can pass the measure without political damage.
During the fall Legislative campaign, the Republican party sent out nearly 100,000 fliers blasting Democratic incumbents for approving legislation that would provide tuition breaks for undocumented students. But Republican challengers lost heavily in the legislative elections.
''The issue didn't have legs and the voters decided there are other things that are more important to us and yes, we want to provide students access to college," said Ali Noorani, the head of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. ''I don't see any legislators getting gun-shy. ''
The state Republican Party sees things differently.
''The mailings were done to highlight an issue that we believe was a good issue. The party does not support taxpayer funding for illegal immigrants and it is not something taxpayers support," said Timothy O'Brien, the executive director of the state Republican Party. ''If you look at the results of the election, this year was the year of the incumbent."
The in-state tuition bill, which was refiled Dec. 1, would allow immigrant students who have lived in Massachusetts for three years and graduated from a Massachusetts high school to pay in-state tuition rates at the state's colleges, regardless of their immigration status. It would help about 400 students. The measure was passed by both houses as a budget provision earlier this year, but Romney vetoed the item in June, saying, ''I do not want to create an incentive to do something which is illegal."
Yesterday the governor stood by the statement. ''No matter how well intentioned, we don't believe in extending benefits to people who are hiding from the law," said Romney spokeswoman Laura Nicoll.
The bill's Senate sponsor, Jarrett T. Barrios, said yesterday he was confident that the measure will become law this session, despite the governor's actions.
''This piece of legislation seems to get some people very worked up, so worked up that they are willing to spend over a million dollars sending literature denouncing brown children who happened to want to go to college after their graduation from high school in our commonwealth," the Cambridge Democrat said.
Eight other states have laws that permit illegal immigrants to attend school at residents' tuition rates. Currently undergraduate tuition for state residents at the University of Massachusetts at Boston amounts to $8,034 per year. Nonresident tuition costs $18,767, according to the school's website. The $10,000 gap would be insurmountable to immigrant students, the activists say.
''When I was in high school I was very active, but suddenly you come out of school, there is nothing for you, nothing you can afford, and you are sitting home watching TV and getting fat," said Cesar, 18, who asked his last name not be used to protect his family.
The East Boston High School graduate immigrated to Boston from Peru when he was 11 and had hoped to major in political science at UMass-Boston. 