The Boston Globe

Metro

Tuition breaks for immigrants stirs debate

Governor Deval Patrick said Monday that allowing certain young illegal immigrants to pay the lower resident rate for tuition and fees at state colleges and universities is just one piece in efforts to overhaul ­immigration policy.

“It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s not a substitute for comprehensive immigration reform,” ­Patrick told reporters at the State House. “We still need that.”

Comments

Will drivers licenses be far behind? 

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Lot's of things will not be far behind. He will do these things as he's packing for Washington. They know better than us, afterall.

Obama's illegal immigrant Uncle already got one, thank you very much ... AFTER a drunk driving conviction.

These kids won't be illegal once they obtain Deffered Status.  They will be legally present, with work authorization.  Patrick's right to recognize them as Massachusetts residents, deserving of in-state tuition. 

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er deferred I mean.

 

Yes, and deport their parents.

America for Americans (and Legal Residents).

Detain and Deport the ILLEGAL ALIENS...

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Then you leave. All Americans are immigrants.  The only native born are the native Americans, living here for 25,000 years.

Then you leave. All Americans are immigrants.  The only native born are the native Americans, living here for 25,000 years.

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Put it to a vote in Congress. Put it to a vote on Bacon Hill. The public is against it ... guess what, society likes laws, because laws make society!

The argument that this policy would disenfranchise native born students is bogus. All it would mean is that the young immigrants would be on the same playing field. Test scores would ultimately determine whether they gain admission to a given college.  As for the other typically Republican argument concerning the need to build more class room space to accommodate increased populations, don’t forget that increased number of students would mean increased revenue from tuitions.

Let’s also not forget that immigrants have to pay sales taxes and don’t they also pay income tax? But the most powerful argument to bolster the Governor’s position is that, by investing in the young immigrants. the State is inventing in itself. Trained, educated workers get jobs and they pay taxes. 

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Do State Colleges accept every Massachusetts student that applies? No, there are not enough seats. Illegals WILL displace legal U.S. citizens.

The argument that this policy would disenfranchise native born students is bogus. All it would mean is that the young immigrants would be on the same playing field. Test scores would ultimately determine whether they gain admission to a given college.  As for the other typically Republican argument concerning the need to build more class room space to accommodate increased populations, don’t forget that increased number of students would mean increased revenue from tuitions.

Let’s also not forget that immigrants have to pay sales taxes and don’t they also pay income tax? But the most powerful argument to bolster the Governor’s position is that, by investing in the young immigrants. the State is inventing in itself. Trained, educated workers get jobs and they pay taxes. 

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And of course, lest you forget, they vote for the big "D" on the ballot. Just buying votes pal and the great "middle class" (that's you and me, or at least me) gets to pay the bill. That's why the national debt has doubled in the last four years. Sorry, but THAT'S the truth.

Correction:: investing, not inventing

Bad idea, Governor.

Annually there are 35,000 students applying to UMASS Amherst to fill 4,500 slots. About 18,000 get accepted. of the 4,500 that fill the freshman class slots, about 25% are out-of-state students. The difference in tuition between in-state and out-of-state students is more than $13,000 per year. Obviously the university can not accommodate everyone that has been accepted that would like to apply as only 25% of those accepted actually attend. If we now permit children of illegal alliens to receive a huge benefit of in-state tuition, more will apply, more will be accepted and the result will be fewer slots will be available to children of parents who have done everything by the books. Once again, those that skirt the system receive the benefits. The Governor has learned well from his BF, President Obama that is if you know the public is against it, then do it by executive order especially if you don't have to stand for re-election. NO BACKBONE DEVAL!!

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Oh yeah, and forget white suburban kids. Using a 'holistic' approach admissions staff will take illegal aliens over them any day.

Typical patrick - it's definitely a step in the wrong direction. if we have such surplus funds then MA should never need to raise tuition and fees for its legal resident students.

Sad that some poor people from other states but American citizens have to pay a higer tuition than criminal illegals. Democrat communists at work to undermine our state.

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Hey Dopeval.... Is a legal immigrant to Massachusetts from Idaho eligible for free tuition at state colleges under your generous use of my tax payments?  There were a couple of community college students interviewed yesterday on a Boston radio station... One of them is with her family from India living in Cambridge, and she has a green card after several years of U.S. residency.  The other is a guy from Haiti, who was boasting quite loudly that he has free tuition. When the radio newsman asked him who pays the tuition bills, this freeloader said, "the government".  I think, but am not sure, that the radio station was WBZ.  Now this whipsaw of a governor wants to provide any illegal under 30 who manages to snafu a workers permit with a freebee education.  I sure would like to know if that includes costs for shelter and eating, as well as books, transportation, lab fees, personal care, and a bit for entertainment.  Of course, the Chicago hack bud of President Barry the O from Chicago wouldn want the state he thinks he rules to provide money for a few Friday night beers to these illegal.

have to protect the voting base

"The governor says he is on strong legal footing to act unilaterally." Deval's "legal footing" seems to be based on Barack's "legal footing". Just BYPASSS Congress and the US or the MA Constitution. MA voters just voted for a dictator in the State House and in the White House.