All Texas grads merit in-state college tuition
May 16, 2007
Placing barriers that limit access to higher education will only harm the state's economy in the long run.
Written by the Editorial Board, San Antonio Express-News
Students walk to class on the UTEP campus.
Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, last week made a failed attempt to repeal a law that allows all students who graduate from a Texas high school, regardless of their immigration status, to pay in-state tuition. House Bill 159 was knocked down on a point order, but Zedler is intent on finding a way to get it passed. His colleagues in the Legislature must remain vigilant to ensure it does not get attached to other legislation. Zedler's objection to the current law is that it allows all Texas high school graduates to pay in-state tuition regardless of their immigration status. Texas is not the only state with such a law on the books, and for good reason. Limiting access to higher education is detrimental to the prosperity and future of the state. A higher education degree does not mean automatic legal immigration status. It will allow many young people who have spent the majority of their lives in the United States to become productive members of the work force when they gain citizenship through formal immigration procedures. These students and their parents are taxpayers whether they are renters or homeowners.
Related Stories
Fair Use Notice
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use", you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.