Monday 8th February, 2010
Very few students are taking advantage of a new law that allows illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at University of Wisconsin System schools, according to university data. For the first time this fall, Wisconsin students who are not legally in this country were eligible for resident tuition under a controversial provision Gov. Jim Doyle signed into law in the state budget over the summer. Only two such students at UW-Madison filed paperwork for resident tuition, four at UW-Oshkosh, one at UW-Whitewater and one at UW-Stevens Point, according to information from those universities. There were none at UW-La Crosse.
UW-Milwaukee had the most, with 35 illegal immigrants qualifying for resident tuition. The higher numbers there reflects the larger immigrant population in the state's biggest city.
"For all the people who thought this would somehow open up a floodgate, all you need to do is look at the criteria for eligibility and you figure out quickly we're talking about a very small universe of people here," said David Giroux, spokesman for the System.
To be eligible, the student must prove he or she graduated from a Wisconsin high school, has lived here for three years and sign an affidavit that he or she will seek permanent residency as soon as possible.
The System won't have complete numbers on the program from all state universities until November.
The gap between resident and non-resident tuition is significant. At UW-Madison, it's the difference between paying roughly $7,500 per year and $21,800 per year.
But even at the resident price, tuition still might be out of reach for many illegal immigrants. They aren't eligible for state or federal financial aid and few scholarships are available for that population.
Wisconsin now is one of 11 states that allow illegal immigrants to pay resident tuition, according to the National Immigration Law Center. California's provision has been challenged, under the argument that it violates a 1996 federal law.
That law prohibits states from giving any higher education benefit based on residency to illegal immigrants unless they provide the same benefit to U.S. citizens, regardless of where they live.
The case is pending before the California Supreme Court. But no state's law has been overturned. Dave Gorak, executive director of the Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration, said he doesn't know of any challenges in Wisconsin.
Because resident tuition is subsidized by taxpayer money, Gorak said Wisconsin's law unfairly forces state residents to pay for the education of illegal immigrants.
"It's illegal," Gorak said. "What Wisconsin is doing violates federal law. That's the bottom line. Everything else is just talk."
Giroux said it is in the best interest of the state to help everyone who lives in Wisconsin get a better education and find higher paying jobs.
"The way our Board of Regents has, over the years, looked at this issue, it's really about serving people who are living in Wisconsin, working in Wisconsin and paying Wisconsin taxes," Giroux said.
To implement the new tuition levels, UW System officials sent out a set of guidelines to all the campuses.
If a student marks on his application that he is not a citizen - but doesn't have legal documentation as a refugee, legal resident or visa-holder - it triggers a review by the registrar's office.
Then the university sends out an affidavit which the student must sign and get notarized, vowing that he or she will pursue citizenship.
The students shouldn't fear being "outed," by the university, Giroux said.
"That's not our job," he said. "We're not here to act as an enforcement agency. We're here to educate Wisconsin residents."
Source: madison.com
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