DESCRIPTION
HB 262/SB 537 Bill allows undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at public 4-year colleges without first earning 60 credits at a community college. Reduces MD high-school attendance requirement from 3 years to just attending. Reduces MD income tax filing requirement for parents/student to 3 years prior to starting college classes instead of the current 3 years while in high school, plus any time between graduation and entering college. Tuition cost at a 4-yr college is double that of a community college and costs to taxpayers are higher. There are a limited number of total student slots, and this legislation may reduce the opportunity for citizen students to attend a 4-yr college at the freshman level. MD current law is generous to undocumented students granting them in-state tuition rates at community college and after earning 60 credits in-state tuition at a 4-year college. This bill reduces the time an undocumented student’s family must file a MD income tax return and significantly reduces the requirement for attending a MD high school to be eligible for in-state tuition. This bill appears to be aimed at recent undocumented and not dreamers -those who were brought here as small children and lived here most of their lives. It could have the unintended result of encouraging more illegal immigration to Maryland.
POLICY ISSUE DESCRIPTION
MESSAGE (Pick one or two reasons)
PLEASE UPHOLD THE GOVERNOR’S VETO BECAUSE
Tuition cost at a 4-yr college is double that of a community college and costs to taxpayers are higher. There are a limited number of total student slots, and this legislation may reduce the opportunity for citizen students to attend a 4-yr college at the freshman level. MD current law is generous to undocumented students granting them in-state tuition rates at community college and after earning 60 credits in-state tuition at a 4-year college. This bill reduces the time a undocumented student’s family must file a MD income tax return and significantly reduces the requirement for attending a MD high school to be eligible for in-state tuition. This bill appears to be aimed at recent undocumented and not dreamers -those who were brought here as small children and lived here most of their lives. It could have the unintended result of encouraging more illegal immigration to Maryland.