Colorado In-State Tuition For Children Of Illegal Immigrants

Former Democrat Congressman David Skaggs, now in charge of higher education in Colorado, wants in-state tuition breaks for the children of illegal immigrants:

Colorado higher education director David Skaggs says he will try to remove legal barriers to in-state tuition for Colorado students whose parents are in the country illegally.

"The disconnect is, we treat these kids as Colorado kids for purposes of K-12 education, and then suddenly they fall off the edge of the Earth," Skaggs said. "Then we try to encourage them to think about going to college, and the status of their parents hasn't been an issue until suddenly they're faced with this resident tuition question."
. . .
The dispute involves only those students under 23 years of age who are not emancipated, meaning that they are still claimed by their parents as dependents on their income taxes.

Skaggs said he has asked the Colorado attorney general's office to clarify the law. He said if the advice from the attorney general is that a child of illegal residents doesn't qualify for in-state tuition, he will ask the legislature to change the law.

"My hope is that they (the attorney general's staff) will say that an otherwise eligible Colorado . . . student shouldn't be disqualified from resident tuition because his or her parents happen not to be able to document their status in the country," Skaggs said.

Nate Strauch, spokesman for Attorney General John Suthers, said that an answer could come in a few weeks.

No Mr. Skaggs, the disconnect is how this state or any state could offer the benefits of in-state tuition to children of illegal immigrants and not to CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY who just happen to be from another state. These students have received their federally mandated K-12 education--let them pony up the cash, find scholarships, work while in school or take out loans to pay for college, just like citizens of the USA and residents of this state have to do themselves. As of now, Metro State charges non-resident tuition; however, CU grants in-state tuition.

Notice too how Skaggs finds the only solution to granting in-state tuition can be found through the legislature, and not through referenda or initiatives--something the public could directly determine.

Oh well, this isn't the first time pro-amnesty advocates have tried to do an end-around on Colorado's laws barring in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.