Va. Senate backs bill to restrict tuition benefits for illegal immigrants
Published: January 27, 2009
The Virginia Senate today approved a bill that would prohibit illegal aliens from receiving in-state tuition benefits unless they meet a series of stringent academic, immigration and residency criteria.
Under Senate Bill 1037, sponsored by Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, illegal immigrants would only qualify for the in-state benefit if they attend a Virginia high school, live in the state and have paid taxes for three years.
Such applicants would also have to demonstrate that they are not in the process of being deported from the country and that they are in the process of applying for permanent residency in the U.S.
The bill now moves to the House of Delegates.
—Jim Nolan
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Reader Reactions
Illegal aliens are already denied in-state tuition. The title is definitely misleading. It isn’t denying in-state tuition to illegal aliens - it is giving them in-state tuition.
Once again Senator Colgan advocates on behalf of illegal aliens (see 2009 Bill SB 1037). Yes, folks, he voted to give in-state tuition to illegal aliens, disregarding the simple fact that it is against federal law to do so, see Federal Law Title 8, Chapter 14, Sec 1623:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alien who is not
lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the
basis of residence within a State (or a political subdivision) for
any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of
the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an
amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen
or national is such a resident.
Wake up, Colgan… Start representing your constituents. Oh wait, many of your constitutents are illegal aliens. Let me rephrase… Colgan, start representing your constituents who are citizens of Virginia and legal permanent residents. And no, Senator Colgan, all El Salvadorans are not here legally.
The headline is very misleading “Va. Senate backs bill to restrict tuition benefits for illegal immigrants” Hanger is trying to OPEN the door for illegal’s to get in-state tuition. It is against federal law to give illegal aliens in-state tuition and if this bill gets enacted, Virginia will be breaking Federal law. This same bill was defeated last year.
Illegal aliens, no matter how well educated still cannot legally work in the United States. So why then would Virginia want to take money away from legal citizens to help someone who has no right to be here in the first place?
That figures. You know, I can’t get any help to go to school because they say that my HUSBAND makes too much money (mind you they don’t consider that he pays every penny of our bills and child support on 2 kids) and we’re barely scraping by but they are going to give these people who aren’t even American’s money and the opportunity! I am outraged! If they’d deport them all, our entire country would be debt free. They milk our welfare system, overrun our taxes on their jail stays and hospital bills that they don’t pay, foreclose on homes that they shouldn’t have gotten in the first place, take our jobs (yeah, someone did them before they got here)...OMG I could go on forever. This is bs at it’s finest.
Wait a freakin minute!
You mean to tell me they received tuition benefits prior to this bill’s introduction?
I’m barely scraping by on my G.I. Bill plus 25+ hours a week of work, and illegals get handouts?
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark
Once again our elected leaders placing illegal immigrants first over Americans.
If they are illegal it should not matter where they went to high school or whether they paid taxes. They should be arrested and held in jail until they are deported, period.
Who is going to enforce these regulations? In case no one noticed, it is getting even harder for naturalized citizens to get tuition benefits! And the State wants to give ANY to illegal aliens? Someone needs to wake up and take care of the naturalized citizens FIRST, then talk about anyone else.
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