County College Of Morris Trustees Vote To Charge Undocumented Students Out-Of-State Tuition

New Jersey's County College of Morris trustees decided to reverse a recent decision that permitted undocumented students to pay in-state tuition in a 9-2 vote Wednesday, reports the Star-Ledger.

In February, the board of trustees voted 7-1 to allow qualified illegal students entry into the junior college for the first time since 2002 and to charge them in-state tuition.

Their ruling received mixed reactions, with some lauding the school for codifying a policy towards undocumented students and others arguing that the school should not require taxpayers to foot the tuition bill of illegal immigrants -- especially at the discounted in-state rate.

Pressure from critics prompted the trustees to reconsider their February decision. According to the Daily Record, trustees received letters from right-wing group Judicial Watch and the college's freeholders saying that charging illegal students in-state tuition was illegal. Trustee Alan Gordon told the Record that the threat of legal action caused the trustees to revisit their initial resolution. "I'm not in favor of defending in court a vote of ours that might cost tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees," he said.

But trustee chair Elaine Johnson maintains that undocumented students should be allowed to pay in-state costs, and said during the public hearing preceding the vote that the new ruling stemmed from "bigotry, hatred, threats and lies."

College President Edward Yaw did not voice his opinion with regards to the new ruling, but he did say that the institution would likely not have been in legal jeopardy had it stood by the February decision.

The Star-Ledger reports that undocumented students will now have to pay the out-of-state fee of $9,780 per year -- up from $3,450 per year in-state.

Do you think that illegal students should be permitted to pay in-state tuition? Let us know in the comments section.

Comments

[jwoww]

02:49 PM on 04/25/2011

register them for college, hold an assembly and have ICE round them up and send them back

[prestonmacdougall]

10:29 PM on 04/24/2011

Shameful. What they need now is out-of-state trustees, from more forward-thinking parts of the country and beyond.

[glomtt]

08:08 PM on 04/24/2011

Let's see they don't qualify for grants because they are undocumented, no loans out there for them and no scholarships. Now they are to pay more in cash for an education, looks like to me colleges are going to be raking in a lot less because of their bigotry!

[Captain Ron]

09:12 PM on 04/24/2011

Maybe their illegal mom and dad can pitch in. After all, they put them in this situation to begin with - actions have consequences.

[Megandale]

09:22 PM on 04/23/2011

Glad the right decision was made.

[corwin]

05:38 PM on 04/23/2011

I never took my PC language course.Doe3s 'undocumented' mean illegal?
Thanking you in advance for your help
Corwin

[cornel]

11:46 AM on 04/23/2011

Don't understand all the brouhaha. Thought it was common sense not to reward unlawfulness !

[themodernleader]

09:30 AM on 04/23/2011

   Our most highly motivated people are our immigrants.  Charging out of state tuition is an index  of human ignorance, bias and folly.  We are administered by losers and we become losers. 

[corwin]

05:39 PM on 04/23/2011

So,that's your excuse?

[Jenni Chapman]

09:19 AM on 04/23/2011

Can't help but say this, too: They ARE home.

[Jenni Chapman]

09:18 AM on 04/23/2011

They should absolutely be given in-state tuition. It's insulting to call them illegal. They're human beings. Thanks, dwright. You said exactly what I was thinking.

[corwin]

05:41 PM on 04/23/2011

Diffidently, I have to point out,both Noah Webster and the US Constitution disagree with you.

[dwright]

08:53 AM on 04/23/2011

I have never seen more hateful and unchristian like posts in my life.  I have taught kids that live in the state since they were 3 and now seniors in high school.  They are American - they had no choice in coming here. They parents do pay all types of taxes that involve simply living in a state. Most do pay income taxes, and state and local taxes.  sheesh

[corwin]

05:49 PM on 04/23/2011

Mr D,
Let me go on record as not being of the Christian persuasion.Still, I do know something of it.Where in the Gospels (see, I told you I know something) does it remark on JC's sacrifice bringing in state tuition? And,a couple of other points.You've not documented your source for 'most parents paying ...income taxes.That's a statement that would surprise most people. To utilize the Old Testament, 'In the Beginning was the Word,and the Word was Dwight?' Just making things up doesn't make them real.
and,if you've never seen more hateful posts,just check out a huffPo column on Sarah Palin. (They get more than two dozen responses,too.)

[corwin]

05:53 PM on 04/23/2011

BUt,Dwight,lest you think I'm a blind apologist for Gov Palin, I've been against her since the lies about 'being pinned down under a deadly hail of 'Cong fire at a Bosnian airport.Shielding my daughter (Kelsey? Cassidy ? ) from the hot lead. And,then to mclaim she 'mis spoke because she was tired. (Chloe? )Well,that was it for me.

[Martin Angel]

08:42 AM on 04/23/2011

all unemployment solution programme .http://bit.ly/ijLXQa
Their ruling received mixed reactions, with some lauding the school for codifying a policy towards undocumented students and others arguing that the school should not require taxpayers to foot the tuition bill of illegal immigrants -- especially at the discounted in-state rate.

[Worthlessdollar1]

08:14 AM on 04/23/2011

"The Star-Ledger reports that undocumented students will now have to pay the out-of-state fee of $9,780 per year -- up from $3,450 per year in-state."

^^ How many illegals can afford to pay that? Less than 5% I'm guessing. Being an illegal immigrant isn't as much fun as it used to be.

[Lolie Culley]

03:57 AM on 04/23/2011

Whoo, these undocumented college kids are going to take our kids future job propective. Watch! They should not be here the first place.

[wdw808]

04:24 AM on 04/23/2011

so jail and fine them then send them home

[dwright]

08:47 AM on 04/23/2011

that is like saying the lady down the street took your husband.

If he wasn't lookin he wouldn't have been taken. 

What you just said was that your kids are not as good as theirs given the same playing field, right?

[tnlcallen]

02:18 AM on 04/23/2011

One of the reasons why in state students are given a reduced tuition bill is because their parents are taxpayers in the State, and help to support these public colleges with their tax money. If you are undocumented, then that probably isn't the case. Personally I think these students shouldn't even be allowed to attend the college or university unless they are documented. I also think though that maybe we should allow them to be documented, and have a program where these kids can get a Visa if they are enrolled in college. They still should pay out of state tuition, but at least they can go to school.

[wdw808]

03:40 AM on 04/23/2011

well said

[dwright]

08:48 AM on 04/23/2011

So by living in that state you don't think they pay taxes?  Are you crazy - most illegal do pay taxes = very few actually get paid in cash or under tables.

Just by driving the roads in NJ you pay massive taxes and in your rent you pay taxes.

[snippylee]

02:13 AM on 04/23/2011

Appropriate, don't you think? My son will be going to college in a year and we will struggle to fund his education. Don't think it fair that undocumented immigrants would receive a benefit unavailable to my son.

[wdw808]

03:43 AM on 04/23/2011

agreed.......the illegals when they apply should have ICE notified

[dwright]

08:49 AM on 04/23/2011

is your son going in-state?

They are paying taxes - who claims that they are.

What if their parents have been paying income taxes?  They could they state at the in-state rate?  Buy living in NJ alone they pay every other tax, road, clothing, gas, etc.