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U.S. ruling may impact tuition for illegals in Utah

Please correct me if I am wrong, but don't out-of-state students become eligible to pay in-state tuition after two years of Utah residency? If that is the case, then how can one argue that the "in-state tuition for illegal immigrants" law gives illegal immigrants a benefit not offered to U.S. citizens? The argument is moot because an out-of-state U.S. citizen would become eligible for in-state Utah tuition a full year earlier than any illegal immigrant.

Consider the timeline: the out-of-state U.S. citizen gains the ability to pay in-state tuition in only two years. Any illegal immigrant, no matter how long they have lived in Utah, is required to attend three years of in-state high school and graduate before becoming eligible for in-state tuition. Never mind the fact that an out-of-state U.S. citizen may apply for in-state Utah tuition at any age in preparation to attend a Utah college. However, how many illegal immigrants plan and prepare to attend a Utah high school while age 14/15 and in their 9th grade year? Not many, except those who also previously attended their 8th year in Utah.

To Rep. Glenn Donnelson and all other detractors, this law is not a hand-out to law breakers, but a hand-up to children who have applied themselves in school so as to improve their lives and their contribution to society. Have a heart!

Obtaining U.S. citizenship is not like obtaining a drivers license. It costs thousands and thousands of dollars and has a delays of ten years or more. What would you do if your drivers license cost $10,000 and was delayed at least 10 years? Drive anyway? I thought so.

I believe the law is not 2 years of residency but instead 2 years of college education, or 60 semester or 90 quarter hours. And at a rate three and a half times regular tuition, that first 60 hours is pretty expensive.

At least I remember the 2 years being college credit. Can anyone shed light on that?

Two of my children were born in Salt Lake and I was born in Utah as well. We moved to Illinois in 1979. They are native Utahns and yet they would not qualify for in-state tuition. What's wrong with this picture?

To Joshua Engle:

You make a very good point in stating that the law is not discriminatory against out-of-state students, becaue of the 3-year requirement. Unfortunately, you then follow it up with a really bad analogy to obtaining a driver's license. Many illegal aliens pay thousands of dollars to enter the country illegally, so it's not a case of them not being able to find the money. There are terrible delays in obtaining citizenship, and if your point is that those delays should be reduced, I agree completely with you. In fact, I believe that we should allow a great deal more legal immigration than we do. However, there is something to be said for enforcing what laws you have; to do otherwise breeds contempt for all law. Whether it is fair, compassionate, or anything else, illegal immigrants have broken the law, and they should not be granted additional privileges while they are continuing to break the law. By all means, provide a way for them to rectify their illegal status, especially if their illegal status is a result of the choices of their parents, rather than their own conscious choice, but don't look the other way when illegal activity is occurring.

What part of ILLEGAL do people not understand. These folks are contually violating US law by their presence here. It is an ongoing criminal enterprise with criminal conspiracy and facillitation.

If they can be deported for being here and working here than they need to be deported for going to schooll here. Information is being withheld from government agencies by the state. Employers can be fined and arrested for their illegal part in the employment of ILLEGALS. School officials should be arrested for their part in assisting ILLEGAL to remain in the country.

Utah is basically a sanctuary state and in-state tuition is only one part of Utah's support of illegal immigration that helps maintain our low wages. As long as any of you are sympathetic to illegal immigration and non-enforcement of the law, don't complain about low wages and other crimes that that are a result.

Actually, ex_lib_loon, school officials are forbidden by the federal government from asking if a student is in a family here illegally.

Immigrants do not drive wages down! Can any body tell me what the minimum wage is and who is responsible for that? Our government maybe? With or without illegal immigrants I cannot picture a McDonald's paying $13/hr to a crew member! My juicy Big Mac combo meal will cost me $10 dollars! either that or the owner will not make any money on it! I think we should grant this people with no criminal records a chance to adjust their status! They have broken the law! yes! but any person in any country or culture has the chance to pay a fine and rectify their mistakes. Why can't we grant them the same chance if our economy needs them and are willing to pay taxes and are seeking an education! Something that many Americans do not care to pursuit.
They do not have access to government loans or scholarships. I know kids that are receiving this opportunity and is not a walk in the park! They have to work and go to school and pay tuition at the beginning of the semester! cold cash! Something that many of our native born youth does not want to do! Let's end this debate and allow the hard working people with not criminal records stay and allow them to make a contribution to society.

What exactly does the following have to do with the topic?...
..."Obtaining U.S. citizenship is not like obtaining a drivers license. It costs thousands and thousands of dollars and has a delays of ten years or more. What would you do if your drivers license cost $10,000 and was delayed at least 10 years? Drive anyway? I thought so"

So what? As stated earlier, your analogy is worse than useless. Citizenship has never been required to attend school. My wife (LEGAL immigrant) is eligible for resident tuition and has been for 2 years, even though she's only been here in the US for three. Why? She came here LEGALLY.

As for OneVote's statement, I fail to understand it. Are you complaining that since your children and yourself were born in Utah that you deserve RESIDENT tuition? You stated they/you were NATIVE Utahns. So what? There is no Native/Non-Native tuition scale. If you don't live here you're not RESIDENTS and don't pay state taxes here and don't deserve the benefit from them. Just as most illegals, even though they live here, don't pay into the cofferes that subsidize the price breaks in tuition.

Some people are just "thick" I guess. :(

"Foreign students" i.e. those who do it legally, are required to obtain written acceptance at a US school, including public schools, then apply for and receive a nonimmigrant student visa. Strangely enough, they are even required to return home after obtaining said education.

Decades ago the US Supreme Court decided that the documentally challenged have a constitutional right to a taxpayer financed public education. By Supreme Court edict, anyone who can get across the border, legally or illegally, can go to public school at taxpayer expense. No wonder few bother with visa requirements.

In recent years, politically correct politicians have added the burden of college education for illegals to the taxpayers. To change the laws, we must change the politicians. Bennett, Hatch, and Cannon need to go, along with all others who favor special treatment at taxpayer expense for illegals.

I think it's hilarious that we are discussing the various policies for in-state vs. out-of-state residence tuition costs for people who don't even qualify as LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTRY!?!

Why even quibble over state residency in such a ludicrous situation?

There's nothing hilarious about an entire segment of the student population in Utah (Hispanic) whose test scores consistently fall below those of all other ethnicities in the state. We should be doing ALL WE CAN to help increase education for ALL Hispanics in Utah, without regard to legal or "illegal". The children of illegals are here and it our responsibility to provide them with the same educational opportunities as our own children have. Otherwise we condemn them to lives of substandard citizens. I remember the 1950s and 60s the argument was whether a child was "Negro" versus "sort of Negro" through no fault of their own. We fought as a nation to overcome the ridiculousness of that situation. Hilarious? Not then, not now.

For two years I had to attend a junior high school in layton when I was 32 years old, just so I could qualify to get in-state tuition at Weber State. Those days were weird because I was a man among children. But on the bright side, my teams always won in PE class.

I agree with Spanish Fork and samhill, if you are not even a legal resident why should you get to attend college in Utah and pay the in-state rate. Mexico City has a world class university.

Information at www.sa.utah.edu states, "the institutional policy cannot be more lenient than the new one year rule or harsher than the requirement of 60 hours or living in Utah for three years.

Undergraduate Domestic Non-resident Students must:

1) Reside in Utah for 12 continuous months, starting July 1, 2007 or anytime thereafter.
2) Not be claimed as a dependent on the tax returns of a person who is not a resident of Utah.
3) Take steps to establish intent to become a resdient OF Utah, for example obtaining a Utah driver's license, within a reasonable period prior to application.
4) Submit an application for resident reclassification by term deadline.

I'm not a citizen of the US, but I've been in the US legally for most of my life. My family followed the law to immigrate here and most of them are now citizens of the United States. I've served in the US military, paid taxes and am a contributing member of society. I plan on getting my citizenship and it is not all that difficult or expensive to do.

It doesn't take 10 years and thousands of dollars to become a citizen of the United States. It takes less than $500 and usually less than a year. Legal imigration to the US takes a bit more effort, but that is the price one pays for the privilage of become a legal resident.

I resent the fact that illegal imigrants are allowed any status other than criminal status. When you break the law that is what you are.

That said, is it true that criminals in our prisons can take college courses and receive degrees without paying any tuition at all. If you want to complain about something complain about that!!

all the americans that complain about illegal immigrants should look in the mirror and unless they are 100 percent american indian, realize that the too are here because of illegal immigration.

that is called being a hypocrite.

Thank you, Here legally. You are correct that it does not take 10's of thousands of dollars and 10 years to gain citizenship. Maybe if someone came here illegally, they may have paid someone tens of thousands of dollars to get here and spent 10 years underground trying to find a way to be legally accepted. My wife came here legally and I know I didn't pay anywhere near that much. Seems it was closer to $250 for the citizenship application. Also, Here legally, thank you for being here legally!

To Kelli; such noble gestures but I don't see you offering to fund your enterprise to educate all the Hispanics. Maybe you should write a letter to their home countries leaders and express how nice it would be if they would educate their population so that we didn't have to. By the way, we are not condemning them to live here as substandard citizens. They aren't citizens at all. They are here illegally.

And to SLC Imm, your suggestion of letting them pay a fine so they can be citizens is a slap in the face to the thousands and thousands of people around the world who are waiting in line to come here legally since they will most likely get bumped to the back of the line. Is that fair?

Sorry, Seth, but I can't seem to find the law that was in place at that time. Can you help me find what law my ancestors broke?

First of all, the illegal aliens who illegally invaded our country to take American jobs and send all profits back to Mexico (the second-largest portion of Mexico's GDP, after OIL, but only at today's inflated oil prices), are NOT immigrants. They are illegal aliens. Immigrants learn our language, and melt into our culture.

They don't refuse to learn English, demand government services in their own language, commit identity fraud to illegally gain employment, refuse to learn to drive properly, and then suck down an average of $30,000.00 per year per household of taxpayer-funded welfare benefits (including taxpayer-funded education, healthcare, cash welfare payments, food stamps, free lunches, etc.).

Individuals who have no intention of actually immigrating to America are either:

A) legal guest workers -or-
B) ILLegal Aliens

The former are welcome, but the latter aren't. Illegal aliens commit a far higher percentage of felonies than American citizens do, they rape and murder more often, they molest children more often, they commit fraud more often, and generally speaking, they don't respect the law any more than they did when they illegally invaded our country.

As for the pathetic argument that American Indians are the only legals, just remember that their ancestors didn't arrive until about 600 B.C., so if you're going to use such convoluted logic, American Indians are illegal immigrants too. Please don't be so ignorant.

If You Are Illegal You Are Not Able To Get Tuition Unless You Become ; ACitizen There fore Either Be come One Or Go Home, And Quit Complaining .