In-State Tuition for Immigrants

Updated February 24, 2008

In-State Tuition For Immigrants Is Necessary Because:

Education is a basic human right.

Connecticut knows better than to punish children for the actions of their parents deemed illegal by the federal government.

Immigrant children are Connecticut's children, often with all of their living memory being of life in Connecticut.

Well-educated adults earn higher incomes and thus return more income tax back to the state of Connecticut.

Many bright students who come from poor immigrant families are shut out of higher education because they cannot afford out-of-state tuition rates.

Out-of-state annual tuition rates are higher than in-state rates by:

$15,000 at UConn
$8,000 at the Connecticut State University System
$5,280 at Connecticut's Community Colleges

2 Bills Proposed In 2008 Legislature

Representative Felipe Reinoso of Bridgeport and the Majority Leader of the Senate, Martin Looney of New Haven, each has introduced bills to allow children of immigrants to pay in-state tuition to attend college. The bill from Sen. Looney would provide for in-state tuition only at the community colleges while Rep. Reinoso's bill is fully inclusive and would provide for in-state tuition at community colleges, the CT State University System and UConn.

HB 5264: AN ACT PROVIDING IN-STATE TUITION TO CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

That section 10a-29 of the general statutes be amended to allow the children of immigrants residing in the state to attend the public institutions of higher education as in-state students for tuition purposes.

SB 264: AN ACT CONCERNING ACCESS TO POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

That section 10a-29 of the general statutes be amended to allow the children of undocumented immigrants residing in the state to attend Connecticut community-technical colleges as in-state students for tuition purposes.