Why should illegal immigrants get tuition breaks?

Pardon me elthia, but what "special privileges" do you imagine undocumented immigrants get? I'm dying to know.

I know many Universities want diversity in their student body and think it is well worth the discounted tuition to give these students a leg up. My own daughter used her diversity as being a daughter of a single working mother who grew up in a diverse neighborhood as one of the reasons they may want to admit her to their Law School. It worked she got into one of the top ten Law Schools in the country and is a practicing attorney.

Your daughter was a legal resident of the US?

Then that doesn't apply to this situation. And student visas are handed out aplenty to deserving students. They come from other countries, but legally.

So is it the fact that they are here from Mexico and not "legal" that bothers you?

It doesn't bother what nationality at all. The legality, however, is an issue for me, especially when legal residents, those born in this state, are passed over in favor of those who are not here legally. And I'm not opposed to them getting an education either. But they should at the very least, pay full in-state tuition, and preferably, out of state tuition (like any other student who is not a legal resident of the state or even the US.)

Students from most other countries cannot just slip over the border, or be carried over as infants...they must go through the proper hoops, get student visas. But that is a legal path.

Students from most other countries cannot just slip over the border, or be carried over as infants...they must go through the proper hoops, get student visas. But that is a legal path.

I would far rather see a child of an illegal immigrant get a break in tuition, which allows them to attend the University than children of rich Saudi Arabians, who overstay their student visa and become terrorists. I think that the tuition should be in state tuition if the student has met the time criteria. A break in the in state tuition is great and should be needs based. The best thing we can do for these young people is make them educated , in careers that will add monies to the tax base. PLUS it is just a good decent human thing to do.

Would you be in favor of making the "hoops" easier to access or would you advocate a punitive approach?

I believe that brings up an entirely different issue: how to get expired visa holders (of any type) to go home.

But your last bit still punishes the kids of legal residents: those born here. They should be first on the list, not worked in later if there's still classroom.