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No big surprise in yesterday’s Lowell Sun to read that “tuition plan may bring in $2.5M”; the in-state tuition bill made sense economically last year, but still the legislature soundly defeated it in January 2006. What we knew then is true today: the state’s schools want these students—most of whom have worked very hard to overcome language and poverty obstacles to become college ready. Their presence “would likely result in extra revenue to the schools and the commonwealth,” according to a Board of Higher Education document released Thursday. But because their documentation is not in order—through no fault of their own—they are currently denied access to attend our state schools at the in-state rate. 

I know—what about fairness? What about all those immigrants who are here legally and have the proper documentation? What about the students who are citizens—will it deny them access? The schools welcome more qualified applicants, and how is it fair to penalize children for the behavior of their parents? (That’s like arresting the bank robber and his three-year-old son for stealing.) 

Last year’s adjustments to the bill, which required three years residency and a path to citizenship, made sense—ultimately these students must achieve legal status. But to me, the most important issue in this whole debate is the long-term impact on our community. After all, these children are with us; they are our children. In June 2005, MassINC, a non-partisan think tank, released a report “The Changing Face of Massachusetts” that showed the state actually lost population except for its immigrants. According to the report, “The average earnings of an immigrant college graduate are $40,179 compared with $20,216 for an immigrant high school graduate and $14,687 for an immigrant dropout.” So how does it make sense to deny these talented, hard-working students the opportunity to earn a degree and become fully engaged, tax paying, home buying, contributing consumers to our economy? It doesn’t make sense.   

If you still have concerns about the economic wisdom of this move, consider some of the states with similar programs: Texas, Utah, New Mexico, New York, Kansas, Oklahoma, and California—states with large immigrant populations and vastly different ideologies. The one thing they do share is the understanding that allowing qualified residents to attend their state colleges—irregardless of their immigrant status—is not only the right thing to do, it’s the financially smart thing to do.