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Maryland Approves In-State Tuition Break for Undocumented Students

April 12, 2011, 1:24 am

Maryland will become the 11th state to extend in-state college-tuition breaks to illegal immigrants under a measure state legislators approved late Monday, the Baltimore Sun reported. The bill will enable undocumented students who have attended Maryland high schools for at least three years, and whose families pay state taxes, to pay cheaper in-state tuition rates at community colleges. After completing 60 credit hours, students could transfer to a four-year state college, also at the in-state rate. Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to sign the measure into law on Tuesday.

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  • viwap

    Good! I wish Florida would follow…

  • softshellcrab

    Good Lord, I hate this stuff. We used to be a nation where following the law meant something. Now, it is pure political correctness. They not only should not receive in state tuition rates, they should be shuttled off to chain gangs with their parents, to work for free for Americans (I don’t want to pay for their incarceration). If they don’t like it, don’t come here. Don’t break our laws. It’s like the world is turning upside down. And every one of them will vote Democrat and vote themselves a bigger and bigger slice of my money. That’s why Democrats support these things, it’s all about selling out their country and bringing in future welfare recipients just to get more Democrat voters.

  • jordan_fletcher

    I am attending a Maryland community college and heard an interesting conversation between a couple of illegal residents of Maryland–one from Africa and one from Central or South America–they were commenting and laughing about how easy it is to get along in this country as an illegal–what they can easily “get” from the government–food stamps, housing, medical care, education–easy financial aid and transportation. Maryland is evidently something of a mecca because it is ” so easy” here. Oh yes, the ICE and local police “never come here”.

    And a couple of my friends who are disabled on disability with work related injuries have been waiting years to get housing assistance and can’t get food stamps–get the bare minimum of medical care since they can’t afford copays–

    So be it, but I will soon be leaving Maryland as I have no intention of paying taxes to support
    a state and county government that flouts the law, encourages lawbreakers and ignores the needs of citizens.

    BTW, I have always voted Democratic–no need to call me a conservative.

  • drj50

    crab: you would “shuffle off to chain gangs” young men and women were brought to this country as young children? And did you read the article? This provision is for students who can demonstrate that their families paid taxes (not welfare recipients). These students want to get an education, better their lives, and contribute to this country, not be “future welfare recipients.” These people are in a difficult place: the quicker we can get them educating and earning, the stronger we all will be. (Note: I am not a Democrat.)

  • tsb2010

    Not only that, but they will be receiving special preference through the affirmative action open racism that is so prevalent in our places of “higher learning”.

    And will CHE finally stop calling them “undocumented students” already? They are lawbreakers and “illegals” (without the “immigrant”), and we reward their behavior.

  • jaysanderson

    Well said, Mr. Fletcher.

  • 10293847

    Yes, putting people in labor camps is an excellent idea. That can’t go wrong at all. I think you are in the wrong country, to be honest. If you don’t like a free and just America, you should leave. Try a totalitarian oppressive regime and see how that works out for you.

  • surpassingreach

    The vast majority of undocumented students were brought here by their parents at a very young age, not by choice. They drj50 is correct, the best thing to do is to educate them so that they can contribute to our country’s growth and development. FYI…the majority of welfare recipients are actually NOT undocumented, they are white U.S. Citizens.

    My father was a persecuted social activist in the 70′s through the 80′s in El Salvador. He learned his name was on a hit-list to be murdered and migrated here in the early 80′s, soon after my siblings and I followed. We have NEVER been on any type of welfare, we always paid taxes and worked, we’ve never been incarcerated, eventually we all became U.S. citizens, both my brother and I have multiple M.A. degrees, I work diligently in Student Affairs, my brother is an alcohol and drug counselor, and my sister is a project coordinator for a non-profit that creates development/mentoring programs for at risk youth and elders. You might be surprised to know that most of my brother and sister’s clients are NOT ethnic minorities or undocumented. All 3 of us contribute to the welfare of this country with the type of work we do.

    My family’s story is just one of many…

  • raza_khan

    This should have been a tough one for based on my professional experience in academics but it is not. Please allow me to explain.

    I came into this country legally as a F-1 student in late 80s as an “international student”. Even though I came legally, I was NOT allowed to apply for any in-state or out-state tuition breaks but rather had to pay higher “foreign student” tuition. I was not given vouchers, or welfare.

    Please let me have few more minutes to explain as to my life as a legal internationl student.

    1. I had to work extra hours to save enough cash for at least one year of education before coming to this country. Yes, I was working since I was 14 to save money for college. My parents could not afford it.
    2. I came to the country and was not allowed to work legally
    3. After a year, I was able to apply for a dean’s scholarship based on academic excellence so that paid for my tuition.
    4. Since I had and to this day have no family in this country, I applied for a work permit and was surprised that it was granted so I started working part-time after a year. However, college was and is expensive so I had to ration off my food. There were months where I ate only breakfast and would have lunch or dinner by simply looking at “ads on windows” of McDonalds or Burger King near the campus. I vividly remember the lowest point of my life – December 15 to January 3rd of 1991 where I lived off two loafs of break and a liter of Pepsi even though I had $500 in cash. I saved that cash so that I could buy the essential textbooks in the Spring 1992 semester.
    5. I was allowed to work full-time during summer and I did and since I was allowed, I worked over-time sometimes clocking in 80 hours a week!!! and yes, I still went to school during summers!
    6. I graduated with a Bachelors in 3 years – sometimes taking 18 to 21 credits a semester!
    7. I applied for graduate school and was able to apply for a graduate scholarship and I secured it.
    8. I worked full-time and took classes as a grad student.
    9. At one point, my Ph.D. mentor said that if I wanted to EARN my Ph.D., he expected me to be in the chemistry lab at least 12 to 14 hours a day and including weekends. That meant I could not work full-time as he was talking about research time and I had to take 3 graduate classes at the same time. I curtailed my work hours to less than 10 hours a week such that it would budget me for food and necessary expenses. So what about rent? With the mentor’s permission, I “moved in” to our large lab for the next one year. Needless to say, I graduated with a MS / Ph.D. six years after my Bachelors
    10. During those 10 years, I did not have enough money to visit my parents once or buy a computer to email with my brothers. I would write them a snail letter once a month.

    So, if you DARE to tell me the some one deserves a break, you are asking for a storm. There are thousands of legal international students who go through what I went through. We sacrificed our lives for the sake of education. College education is NOT a right in this country – it is EARNED!!!

    If you want my vote, tell me that you want to go college full-time, work full-time, can live on one meal, live with 5-6 people in a two bedroom apartment, walk to campus and not own a car, will not own a cell phone and spend the holidays (as painful as they are) in your two bedroom apartment with five other people and console each other why you are doing this – THEN and ONLY THEN, you have my vote. Short of that, ……

    I better stop here!!!

    Yes, I live in Maryland and lived in Maryland (1988 – 2001 and then since 2006 – present) and this bill hurts to the core…… and it hurts deep….

    Raza
    ________________________
    Raza Khan, Ph.D.

  • raza_khan

    Few notable points I should have made with my earlier posts.

    1. While as an “international” student, I paid social security and medicare that was deducted from my paycheck. I did not complain as I was simply thankful that I had this opportunity to get an education in this country.

    2. I have heard a lot from those who say that well our father or we came here because we were on some hit list or based on political asylum. Yes, so did my friends but there is no human law or UN law that says that USA needs to provide accomodation. It is sufficient that you are protected in this country – that should be sufficient privilige. If you want right for any other break that you think you deserve, you are more than welcome to leave and get that in your country.

    3. For those of you who are wondering as to if I got my citizenship by marrying some one who was a US citizen either by falling in love with some one or through a fake marriage scam, sorry to disappoint you. In fact, I married late as I knew that I had to be financially sound before I committ to some one. Luck had me again as I was one of the DV lottery winners (something that Department of State does) to ensure that there are some minimum number of LEGAL immigrants from each country. I was a winner during my third year of graduate studies and got my “green card” and thus it paved the way for citizenship five years later.

    So, if you want my vote for breaks, you are talking to the wrong person!

    Raza
    ___________________________
    Raza Khan, Ph.D.

  • amberdru

    This is such bull.

    Where does the illegal alien student get their tuition money from?

    So what their parents brought them here, at this point they are adults.

    If a legal international student does not enroll and attend full time the school is suppose to report them to the feds. But the school ignores this if they are illegal?

  • surpassingreach

    1. Most international students are here because their families or themselves can usually afford the fees PLUS it is a CHOICE. Don’t ever compare the human and student experience of an international student to an undocumented student. Most of my students were brought here by their parents when they were elementary age and it wasn’t their choice.

    2. When people think of undocumented students they think Latinos when in reality some of the white students in your classroom may be European illegals! Undocumented students come from around the world.

    3. The U.S. does allow a path to citizenship for a minimal number LEGAL immigrants BUT they are traditionally from countries outside of Latin America. Traditionally India, European nations, and some Asian nations. But it is minimal…

    4. Most of the undocumented students pay for their schooling through their parents savings, their own work, sponsors, it takes them longer to graduate because they pay everything out of pocket, and I actually have met some that are homeless because what little money they have goes towards their education.

    5. It’s ridiculous to tell these students that they should “go back to their country” when the only country they know is the U.S! Most of these students are completely acculturated if not entirely more American than some people that were actually born here.

    6. This bill DOES not in any way provide any financial assistance so don’t worry you don’t have to guard your selfish pockets.

    7. Our STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS are changing and with the changes so should our beliefs, our empathy, and our cultural sensitivity.

    8.Education contributes to positive social change. If you don’t believe in that, you should retire! Just because you stand in front of a classroom going through your syllabus or just because you are an administrator doesn’t mean you are contributing positively to society when you are stuck thinking like you have a white robe draped over your head, a bandage over your eyes, and a black cloth restricting your heart.

    9. What part of an educated people=a better economy/a stronger America don’t you understand?

    10. Raza_Khan…yes I originally came here illegally and would I do it again? YES! If your whole family was going to be slaughtered..including your pets and all the females in your family were going to be raped I’m sure you’d want to get your family out! So YES I would break the law again. I came here illegally BUT became legal long time ago. I achieved my multiple college accolades and degrees as a U.S. Citizen through university grants, scholarships, my parents own pocket, and my own pocket. Now I’m in a position to help others attain the same dream and this law breaker as you call me now provides scholarships for deserving students out of MY own pocket.

    11. Extreme poverty, unsafe conditions, or war are never experienced in the U.S. like in other countries so it’s very EASY for all of you to judge these students when you haven’t lived through such extreme conditions.

    12. I hope none of you call yourself Christians because if you do, I’m sure if you listen very closely, he will convict you.

    13. Lastly…let me remind you again…undocumented students are NOT receiving any break. Even if paying in state tuition, the majority of them can not afford it and those that can, graduate at slower rates because they can’t afford a full course load. The undocumented student population is extremely minute. Our classrooms are not swarming with these students .

  • jabberwocky12

    Are you really using this tragic situation to advertise your company?  (Yes, while Moodle is a free and open source LMS, it doesn’t address the important issue of the clickers, and the focus of your post, with the link, appears to be on your company’s “solutions.”)  Shame!

  • http://hiresteve.com/ Steve Foerster

    It was a little crass, but at least it wasn’t irrelevant.  For example, I didn’t know that Moodle is fully Section 508 compliant, and I was glad to learn that.

  • raza_khan

    I believe that this may be the biggest and if not one of the biggest challanges for the faculty members.  We are expected to keep with the technology such as e-books, e-homework assignments such as (Mastering or OWL), podcasts (audio / video), lecture capture but yet as faculty, it is not our role to ensure that any, some or all of these non-traditional tools of lecture deliverability are ADA complaint.   HOWEVER, it is the instittution’s responsibilty and that is where I see our biggest challange as faculty in to not only “play” with these tools but then try to figure out what tools are non-ADA compliant and then work our way around it in a way that we do not single those out students and grade every one fairly.   Of course, some of these tools such as lecture capture are meaningless to a blind student in a chemistry course where the use of whiteboard or chakboard is heavily used by the faculty member.

    I did have a blind student about 10 years ago in my class and she was afforded an intrepreter but it has to be a perfect relationship between those two people in both lecture and lab setting for this to work.

    Raza
    _____________________
    Raza Khan, Ph.D.
    Dr.Raza.Khan@gmail.com

  • http://www.wikispaces.umb.edu Christian

    eGrade isn’t a full-fledged LMS, so bringing Moodle into the discussion is not entirely relevant–though it may help to assuage any worries MoodleRooms customers may have.

    Please note that Section 508 compliance is a start but doesn’t mean a product is both accessible and usable. Our evaluation of LMS products, commercial and open source, have found that many Section 508 compliant systems are still not as accessible as they could be–though they met basic 508 requirements.

  • idixon

    Denying reality will not change it. I read the continued dialog about online learning while the demand for educational access continues to grow. Students that are well prepared will flourish in either environment frankly. I have had the good fortune to teach in both settings and the nature of the course, instructor preparation and the tools they have to work with make the difference.

    Online learning is a tool whose time is here and if we continue to resist using it (appropriately) we will continue to seem out of touch to our students and the world. Open our minds and hearts, continue to learn that should be our message.

  • liujuan
  • bigyaz

    Sounds like someone did not actually read — or at least comprehend — said article:

    “… that Bryn Mawr and 35 other colleges will be using.”

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