“Currently, undocumented young people are entitled to free public education, and approximately 50,000 graduate from high schools each year; however, without legal status, they cannot get a job or afford to attend college,” said cosponsor of the bill, U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN). “This measure will provide these young people with an incentive to move towards permanent residency while pursuing an education or other worthwhile service.
“The immigrant population in Indiana is growing, with some portion undocumented,” said Lugar. “Undocumented young people usually arrive with their families and have no understanding of their immigration status. They should be encouraged to get an education and move toward permanent residency.”
To be eligible, a child must have been under the age of 16 when they entered the country and physically present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding the date of this measure becoming law; must have earned a high school diploma or GED; be a person of good moral character; and not be inadmissible or deportable under criminal or security grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Presently, the law penalizes states that grant a post-secondary benefit, such as in-state tuition, to undocumented students unless the state also provides that same benefit to out-of-state students. This legislation will allow states to grant in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants. Also See: Bill Would Grant Asylum to Iraqi Weapons Scientists
Comments