Oregon legislators will decide in the upcoming months whether in-state tuition rates should be available for undocumented immigrants who have moved through and graduated from the Oregon K-12 education system.
The legislation, labeled Senate Bill 742, also known as the “tuition equity” bill, would make Oregon one of 10 other states, including California and Washington, that currently offer in-state rates to illegal immigrants. At present, most states require that college applicants prove residency before they can receive the lower tuition costs, a process that requires a social security number and proof of citizenship.
SB 742 was referred on Tuesday to the Senate’s Education and Workforce Committee, but a meeting has not yet been set to discuss the matter. The bill has received bipartisan sponsorship in the Oregon Senate, with 11 Democrats and five Republicans endorsing it. Support has been similar in the House of Representatives, as well.
“There are quite a number of young people out there who, at no fault of there own, have wound up in this country without documentation,” Republican State Representative Bob Jenson said. “They go to Oregon schools and graduate from high school, but because of the nature of their status, they can’t (go onto college). It’s a terrible waste of people, and it’s a waste of our universities not to educate them.”
SB 742 represents the fourth attempt since 2003 to pass a bill allowing in-state tuition for undocumented high school graduates. The idea was also included in the federal legislation of the DREAM Act, a hotly debated immigration reform bill spearheaded by President Obama that failed to pass last December. Nevertheless, support has remained strong for the idea from both education officials and immigration reform advocates
“In Oregon, there is a problem where older adults are more educated than younger adults,” Diane Saunders, Oregon University System spokesperson, said. “We need to do a better job of getting people into college. The fastest growing youth population is Latino students, and right now we’re losing them because they hit a wall once they graduate from high school.”
Currently, only one university in Oregon, Eastern Oregon University, grants in-state tuition to undocumented students. This means that the majority of these students are forced to attend more affordable community colleges or attempt to find financial support to pay the much higher out-of-state tuition, which at the University is set at $25,830 annually.
For many, the bill represents just one of many needed reforms to improve Oregon’s education system.
“It’s a well-written piece of policy, and we’re optimistic that it passes,” Sarah Hoyt, policy advisor for Lane County State Sen. Chris Edwards, said.
Opponents of the legislation have traditionally argued that by granting state benefits to immigrants, lawmakers would be creating an incentive for even further immigration and would slowly increase the burden on the education system. Indeed, despite the bipartisan sponsorship of SB 742, many legislators remain uncertain as to whether it will pass. The biggest obstacle will likely be the House, where a historical 30-30 split between Democrats and Republicans promises to challenge the bill.
“I expect it will be very controversial,” Jenson said. “I think there’s a good chance it will never get a work session on the House side. But that doesn’t excuse us from trying to move an agenda like this forward.”
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