In Texas, illegal immigrants who do well in high school, have lived in Texas for 3 years minimum , and who are willing to file for permanent residency are eligible for in-state tuition rates at Texas’s universities and colleges. In addition, they are also eligible to receive publicly funded grant to help them with their education.
The in-state tuition policy was passed and signed by Governor Rick Perry in 2005. The idea behind that policy is to help smart Texans kids that are willing to be U.S citizen with their school in order for them to help Texas later. Texas is did a great job by passing that policy.
The critics agrees that the grant programs for legal student have been deeply cut and the want to have the grant allowed to illegal students.
The only difference between legal student and illegal student is that one is U.S citizen or permanent resident and the other is not. That means the different is at the federal level. However, whether legal or illegal student, they are all Texans resident therefor they are all contributing in tax base. It will be silly to take people’s tax money and use it for the privilege of one group only. They should all benefit for the tax they paid and are paying.
The illegal students are not criminals. For many of them, they are people willing to live in the State and work for the State so why not give them that opportunity. According to the Texas Higher Education coordinating board, the total amount of aid that are actually granted to illegal students(smart high school kids willing to perform more) is not a significant percentage of the total amount allocated by the State.
Texas did (and is doing) a great job for Texans students (legal or illegal). Instead of blaming Governor Perry, we should all thank him and the people that actually though of the idea and process it.
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