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Missouri Bucks Nationwide Trend on Immigrant Tuition

Just one month before classes start, dozens, and possibly hundreds of Missouri college students are suddenly finding out their tuition is about to more than double because of a rule change passed by Missouri lawmakers.

By Koran Addo

Just one month before classes start, dozens, and possibly hundreds of Missouri college students are suddenly finding out their tuition is about to more than double because of a rule change passed by Missouri lawmakers.

The new rule says public colleges and universities must charge so-called DACA students the highest rate of tuition available -- either the out-of-state or the international rate.

DACA students are those who are brought to the U.S. as young children and are undocumented through no fault of their own. They are legally allowed to stay in the country under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA.

The new rule is a victory for certain lawmakers who've been fighting for years to make it harder for undocumented students to attend college.

House Budget Committee Vice Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick, R-Shell Knob, called the rule change an issue of fairness. He said undocumented students shouldn't be eligible for the same benefits as legal residents.

But a number of college leaders, including University of Missouri-Columbia Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, oppose the new rule.

"I personally believe human capital shouldn't be wasted," Loftin said. "We value every person we have here at the university."

Before the rule change, DACA students in Missouri were eligible to receive scholarships. Those who graduated from high school had the added benefit of paying in-state tuition once enrolled in a state college.

But language inserted in the state's budget bill forbids public colleges and universities from extending those benefits to DACA students.

The rule change is an issue of wording. Previously, schools were forbidden to offer benefits to students who had an "unlawful presence" in the U.S. But because DACA students are legally protected from deportation, that language didn't apply.

This year, Missouri's Legislature tweaked the wording to say "unlawful immigration status," -- a change that recognizes DACA students as being here legally but not having permanent resident status.

At least that's how the state's institutions are interpreting the bill. Others, including Gov. Jay Nixon, argue that because the language referring to DACA students was written into the introduction but not the meat of the bill, the language is not legally binding.

Nevertheless, students throughout the state began receiving letters this month informing them that they would no longer be eligible for the tuition relief many were counting on.

More than 20 students at the University of Missouri-St. Louis got their letters last week. It means that the $9,500 tuition they were expecting to pay has ballooned to $25,000, said Alan Byrd, dean of enrollment services.

Byrd said UMSL is currently trying to raise enough money in private donations to pick up the slack for their seven returning DACA students. Meanwhile, the 15 incoming students affected by the rule change are out of luck.

"If we would've kept it how it was, the Department of Higher Education would've done nothing," said Fitzpatrick, one of the legislators pushing for the rule change.

"This is to prevent the department from giving scholarships or a better rate of tuition to undocumented students," he said.

An undocumented student living in Missouri, should not get a lower tuition rate to go to St. Louis Community College than a legal resident who lives outside the city, he said.

"The more you reward illegal immigration, the worse the problem gets," Fitzpatrick said.

Others see the issue as one of wasted potential and discrimination against students who have legal permission to live, work and study in the country -- at least 20 states allow certain undocumented students to receive in-state tuition.

"What this means is that we don't value or support individuals who made the mistake of being born somewhere else," said Faith Sandler, executive director of the nonprofit Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis.

She added that the new rule does little more than attempt to snuff out the potential of people who could be contributing members of society.

There are roughly 1,200 DACA students living in Missouri. It's unclear how many are in college or planning to attend.

Vanessa Crawford Aragón, executive director of Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates, said the new policy is particularly bad because it doesn't affect enough people to have a large impact on the state, but it's life-changing for the ones who are affected.

"Discrimination," she said, "is the only reason to implement this policy."

(c)2015 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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