“Minors have little say over their residency or documentation status,” the OEA stated in the letter. “Yet these students have lived here, been educated in our schools and made contributions to our communities. They ought to have the chance to qualify for in-state tuition and the choice to further their education . . .”
Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, said that tuition equity will actually bring new revenue in. According to an analysis by the Legislative Fiscal Office, around 38 students are expected to take advantage of the program in the current biennium, generating about $350,000. For the 2015-17 biennium, the numbers were estimated to be close to 80 students and an additional $1.5 million. “These are exactly the kinds of kids we should be investing in,” Dembrow said. “They’re not lawbreakers. They are examples of exactly what we want our young people to do: work hard, get good grades, dream big.” And Rep. Jennifer Williamson, D-Portland, a first-generation college graduate herself, said that because so many undocumented students have been living in Oregon and attending schools here, the state has already made huge investments in them. To stop them short of college with non-resident tuition doesn’t add up. “Education is often a road to success,” she said, “and we are effectively denying it by charging out-of-state tuition. We’ve already made significant investments in their future. It’s critical we as a state capitalize on that investment that we’ve already made.” nnnnnnn Tuition equity would have been a reality already in Oregon if not for the opposition it has faced from several fronts, which it faced this time around, too. Many believe that offering in-state tuition to undocumented students is giving them a leg up or a special privilege compared to other students, particularly out-of-state ones. Others question whether there really will be no costs associated with tuition equity, and still others point out, correctly so, that many undocumented students, even though they may have had no control over it, are still in the U.S. without legal status. “It’s unfair these kids are in this position,” said Rep. Sal Esquivel, R-Medford, “but unfortunately their folks chose to not adhere to our law and unfortunately they may have some problems with that in the future.” Esquivel also said that if Oregon stands to make money by offering in-state tuition to undocumented students who otherwise would not go to college here, then maybe the doors should be open Credits: Thomas Patterson
to any non-resident. Similarly, he questioned the logic that Oregon is missing out on a revenue opportunity by not making it easier for undocumented students to attend state schools. If that’s the case, he said, then Oregon is missing out on other revenue by not letting anyone from outside the state come and pay in-state rates. “Why don’t we let people from outside Oregon come here and go to school?” he said. “You don’t lose what you don’t have. We don’t have those people from out of state… so I guess we haven’t lost anything.” Some legislators have also pointed out that students who might benefit from tuition equity will in many cases still be undocumented once they complete their education. That means that even though they may hold a college degree, they won’t legally be able to work here. “This bill does not give these students a worker ID number so they can get a job,” said Rep. Jim Weidner, R-Yamhill. “I keep hearing how (this bill) benefits society, but this bill does not create jobs because it doesn’t guarantee employment.” Supporters of tuition equity acknowledge this latter argument, but also note that times are changing. DACA, which began last August, has made it possible for students to obtain a status that allows them to legally work in the U.S., albeit a temporary, renewable, two-year one. Nicolas, who works for the immigrant rights organization Causa and also for the Salem/Keizer Coalition for Equality, received his DACA card in October. “This is not an immigration issue,” he said, “this is an education issue.” Vega Pederson said that immigration changes on the federal level, such as DACA, will likely continue to make legal status more accessible for more undocumented students. “I think we would all love to see these students be able to have legal routes to become citizens,” she said. “Having a bachelor’s degree is going to help their case.” As to undocumented students being given a special privilege, Vega Pederson said that’s simply not true. Unlike American citizens, who at least have the opportunity to pay in-state tuition, undocumented students who have grown up here have no chance to do so. TODAY’S OEA | APRIL 2013
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