The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts supports House bill 1061, the so-called “Education Equity” bill. This bill would allow students who are not citizens and not legal permanent residents to pay in-state tuition and receive state-funded financial assistance at public institutions of higher education if they otherwise qualify. The bill addresses issues of immigration, education, income inequality, and equal opportunity.
As the U.S. Congress grapples with the larger issue of immigration, through this bill Massachusetts has an opportunity to enable undocumented immigrant youth to become more productive members of society, as many other states have done including California, New York, Connecticut, Florida, Texas.
At UMass Amherst, for Massachusetts residents, full time undergraduates pay $14,171 in annual tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay $30,5041. At a community college such as MassBay, Massachusetts residents pay $184 per credit while non-residents pay $3902.
Right now, young people already in the US, educated K-12, and qualified to enter college are forced to pay out-of-state tuition at Massachusetts public colleges and universities. This bill gives them access to the tuition and financial aid available to their fellow graduates.
1https://www.umass.edu/bursar/sites/default/files/Fall%202015-Spring%202016%20ugrad%20full%20time%20fee%20sheet_0.pdf
2http://www.massbay.edu/tuition-fees/
Click here for LWVMA testimony.
Click here for the bill and sponsors.