In November of 2010, the California Supreme Court ruled that undocumented immigrants that reside within the state are entitled to the same tuition advantages enjoyed by legal residents of California. The decision means that undocumented immigrants will pay $11,000 less for public college tuition and $23,000 less for private college tuition compared to US citizens from out of state. It is my opinion that the California Supreme Court made the right decision. When undocumented students are able to receive in-state tuition rates, they are less likely to drop out of high school and are more likely to enroll in and complete college (Ali, 2017). These high achieving students bring a positive impact to local and state communities and economies.
7 Myths and Facts about undocumented immigrants.
Before we discuss why undocumented students should be eligible for in-state tuition, I think it is important to address the myths that are spread about undocumented immigrants in the United States.
1. MYTH: Unemployed Americans could fill jobs held by undocumented immigrants.
FACT: Immigrants typically do not compete for jobs with native-born workers. They also create jobs as entrepreneurs, consumers, and taxpayers. In fact, if we removed the 8.1 million undocumented immigrant workers from the U.S., it would send our economy into a tailspin, which would lead to job loss (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
2. MYTH: Immigrants drive down the wages of American workers.
FACT: Immigrants give a slight boost to the average wage of American workers. A 2010 report from the Economic Policy Institute estimated that, from 1994 to 2007, immigration increased the wages of native-born workers by an average of 0.4 percent (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
3. MYTH: There is no shortfall of native-born Americans for open positions in the natural sciences, engineering, and computer science so there is no need for foreign-born high-tech workers.
FACT: There is a continuing shortfall in native-born students to fill job openings in the fields listed above. In addition, wages are increasing in STEM jobs requiring higher education. If given in-state tuition rates, undocumented immigrant students can fill these vacancies (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
4. MYTH: Immigrants hurt struggling communities.
FACT: Immigrants have economically revitalized communities throughout the country. Long-term research shows that undocumented immigrants bring more jobs and higher salaries to communities where they cluster (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
5. MYTH: Undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes.
FACT: Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes each year. Undocumented immigrants pay sales taxes, state property taxes, and more than half of undocumented immigrants pay federal and state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes automatically deducted from their paychecks. However, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for any of the federal or state benefits that their tax dollars help to fund (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
6. MYTH: Immigrants come to the United States for welfare benefits.
FACT: Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal public benefit programs, and even legal immigrants face strict eligibility restrictions. The Urban Institute concluded that immigrant families are less likely to use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as “food stamps” than native-born families (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
7. MYTH: Immigrants are more likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans are.
FACT: Immigration does not cause crime rates to rise, and immigrants are actually less likely to commit crimes or be behind bars than native-born Americans. Since 1990, FBI data shows that the number of undocumented immigrants has risen from 3.5 million to 11.2 million while violent crimes had declined by 48%. In fact, crime rates are lowest in states with the highest immigration increases (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
For more information on myths and facts about undocumented immigrants, please visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Website at https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/documents/files/022851_mythsfacts_2016_report_final.pdf.
Qualifications for in-state tuition.
Undocumented immigrants must meet the same requirements to qualify for in-state tuition as legal residents. First, they must have their high school diploma or GED, and they must have resided in the state for a certain number of years. These laws were created to aid those who have lived in the US for many years after being brought here as children by their parents (NILC, 2017). Additionally, many states require that undocumented students must find a pathway to citizenship upon completion of their degree (Aguilar, 2017).
Myths about undocumented students.
1. Myth: Undocumented students qualify for public aid.
Fact: Undocumented students do not qualify for public aid, which is why it is vital that they are eligible for in-state tuition. Many students must pay for their tuition themselves so they cannot afford tuition that could potentially be triple the cost (NILC, 2017).
2. Myth: It cost the state millions of dollars for these programs.
Fact: The cost to run in-state tuition programs for undocumented immigrants is trivial, and is outweighed by the revenue paid in taxes and tuition (NILC, 2017).
3. Myth: Universities lose out on big money by allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students.
Fact: The amount of students that use these programs are minuscule compared to overall student enrollment. For instance, data from Texas in 2013 showed that only 25,000 participated in the state’s program. That was only 2% of overall student enrollment. Additionally, since 2001 Texas undocumented students paid over $51 million in tuition. The state would lose that $51 million because those students could not afford to pay out-of-state tuition (Aguilar, 2017).
Benefits of offering undocumented immigrants in-state tuition.
Yes undocumented immigrants are here illegally, but fact is most of these students were brought here by their parents and the US is the only home they know (NILC, 2017). The benefits these students bring to America is far outweighs their legal status. These students that are offered in-state tuition…
• Increase high school graduation rates (Ali, 2017).
• Increase in high school graduates that pursue additional education (Ali, 2017).
• Have a better chance of escaping poverty (NILC, 2017).
• Increase college revenue (NILC, 2017).
• Contributes to economic and social benefits of communities (NILC, 2017).
All these students are doing is looking for a way to make college affordable so that they can give back to the communities where they live. They are not looking for a free education, just an affordable education. We owe them that chance. California and other states that allow undocumented immigrants the right to pay in-state tuition made a good choice for the students, for the economy, and for America.
Nicole Hoffmann 