DENVER—A fifth effort to grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrants in Colorado is under way in the Legislature, and supporters said Wednesday they’ve tweaked the proposal so it won’t cost the state anything.
One Republican lawmaker, however, challenged the no-cost assessment, saying the bill would lead to higher operating costs for colleges.
Angela Giron, a first-year Democratic senator from Pueblo, is sponsoring the bill, which she said would dump an estimated $1.7 million to $4.2 million into colleges in the state, depending on how many of the 900 currently eligible illegal immigrant students enroll in schools.
Giron said one of the reasons she ran for office is because she was disappointed that similar legislation failed in 2009.
“This legislation holds a huge piece of our future economic success. And finally students (can) dream big dreams and have the chance to make it happen,” she said.
Eleven states have passed legislation to grant in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, including California, Illinois, Kansas, New York and Texas.
Giron said her bill is different than 2009 because it requires students to sign an affidavit with a college saying they are trying to get legal residency, a provision that other states have included in their legislation.
Giron said another difference is her bill makes illegal immigrants ineligible for a state stipend that in-state tuition students can use at a college of their choice.
To qualify for in-state tuition under the Senate bill, students must graduate or get a GED from a Colorado school and have attended a public or private state school for at least three years.
Supporters of the bill, including Rep. Diana DeGette, said during a news conference at the state Capitol that granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrants is a long-term investment for Colorado.
High-school students also spoke in favor of the bill, identifying themselves only by their first names because they are in the country illegally.
Sen. Ted Harvey, a Republican from Highlands Ranch, said the bill rewards illegal behavior and will cost taxpayers, who will pay more for rising operating costs at colleges.
“People coming here illegally to take advantage of those programs, we need to stop that,” he said.
Harvey said the testimony from students was heartbreaking, but he doesn’t believe they should be given in-state tuition.
“I think we should stop incentivizing more generations of people to cross our borders illegally,” he said. “They should come here legally.”
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Online:
Senate Bill 126:
