Wisconsin approves in-state tuition for undocumented students

Nick · 06-30-2009, 01:07 AM

Confirmed. Signed into law yesterday.

Quote:

Under the rest of deal, a new driver's card for illegal immigrants would not be created as the Assembly had wanted, but children of illegal immigrants could pay in-state tuition to attend Wisconsin colleges.

Source: http://www.madison.com/tct/news/top5/456472

I need help digging down to the actual text of the legislation (Wisconsin budget 2009-2011). Also, I believe the governor still has to sign the budget, need a confirmation on this as well.

Nick · 06-30-2009, 01:15 AM

Quote:

5. NONRESIDENT TUITION EXEMPTIONS FOR CERTAIN UNDOCUMENTED PERSONS

Assembly: No change to Joint Finance.

Senate: Delete the Joint Finance provision that would provide an exemption from nonresident tuition under the UW System and WTCS for certain undocumented persons. To be eligible under the Joint Finance provision, a person would have to be continuously present in Wisconsin for at least three years before graduating from high school or receiving a declaration of equivalency of graduation.

Conference Committee: Provide that a person who is a citizen of another country is exempt from nonresident tuition if that person meets all of the following requirements: (a) the person graduated from a Wisconsin high school or received a high school graduation equivalency declaration from this state; (b) the person was continuously present in this state for at least three years following the first day of attending a Wisconsin high school or immediately preceding the receipt of a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation; and (c) the person enrolls in a UW System institution or Wisconsin technical college and provides the institution or college with proof that the person has filed or will file an application for a permanent resident visa with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as soon as the person is eligible to do so. Specify that this provision would first apply to persons who enroll for the semester or session following the bill's effective date.

Source: http://search.legis.wisconsin.gov:87...egis&n=2&la=en

In other words. It looks like the Joint Finance committee added the measure in the original proposal. The Assembly made no changes to it. The Senate tried to block the measure. And the final budget bill was compromised to include the measure. Surely not an accident.

Nick · 06-30-2009, 01:20 AM

From the same article, again need another source:

Quote:

Doyle [the governor] supports the mandate as well as in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants.

Quote:

The governor has been pressuring fellow Democrats who control the Legislature to pass a budget in time for him to make his vetoes and sign it into law before Wednesday, when the new fiscal year starts.

We don't have to wait too long to find out...

Nick · 06-30-2009, 01:56 AM

Here the text. AB75 of Wisconsin legislature 2009 - 2010.

For Technical College System:

Quote:

SECTION 751. 38.22 (6) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

38.22 (6) (e) Any person who is a citizen of a country other than the United
States if that person meets all of the following requirements:

1. The person graduated from a high school in this state or received a
declaration of equivalency of high school graduation from this state.

2. The person was continuously present in this state for at least 3 years
following the first day of attending a high school in this state or immediately
preceding receipt of a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation.

3. The person enrolls in a district school and provides the district board with
an affidavit stating that the person has filed or will file an application for a
permanent resident visa with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as soon as the person is eligible to do so.

page 475.

For University of Wisconsin System:

Quote:

SECTION 743. 36.27 (2) (cr) of the statutes is created to read:

36.27 (2) (cr) A person who is a citizen of a country other than the United States is entitled to the exemption under par. (a) if that person meets all of the following requirements:

1. The person graduated from a high school in this state or received a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation from this state.

2. The person was continuously present in this state for at least 3 years following the first day of attending a high school in this state or immediately preceding receipt of a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation.

3. The person enrolls in an institution and provides that institution with an affidavit stating that the person has filed or will file an application for a permanent resident visa with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as soon as the person is eligible to do so.

page 472.

Initial applicability:

For Technical College System:

Quote:

TUITION EXEMPTION FOR ALIENS. The treatment of section 38.22 (6) (e) of the statutes first applies to persons who enroll for the semester or session following the effective date of this subsection

page 1722.

For University of Wisconsin System:

Quote:

SECTION 9354. Initial applicability; University of Wisconsin System.
(1) TUITION EXEMPTION FOR ALIENS. The treatment of section 36.27 (2) (cr) of the statutes first applies to persons who enroll for the semester or session following the effective date of this subsection.

page 1724.

Source: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/AB-75.pdf

Now if someone could dig up that 38.22 (6) and 36.27 (2) so we can read the full thing as it will be.

...sometimes I feel like they deliberately write documents to be incomprehensible. =P

Nick · 06-30-2009, 12:01 PM

Confirmed. Signed into law yesterday.

Quote:

Voces de la Frontera
June 29, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Christine Neumann Ortiz
Office: 414-643-1620
Cell: 414.736.2835

Wisconsin Becomes 11th State to Offer In State Tuition Rates to Undocumented Students

"I have always wanted to go to the University of Wisconsin- Madison, and I have the grades to get in, but with no access to loans I could not afford to pay the out of state rates to attend. With in state tuition rates, I can finally make it. It's overwhelming, I feel like I can finally follow my dreams," says Jannet, a student from Madison, in response to the Wisconsin budget signed today.

Today, June 29th, 2009 at 11:00 am Governor Jim Doyle signed into law the 2009-2011 biennial state budget which includes a provision that would require universities to charge in state tuition rates to undocumented students who have lived in Wisconsin at least 3 years prior to graduating from high school or obtaining a GED. This makes Wisconsin the 11th state to make this change following Texas, Oklahoma, New York, California, Nebraska, Kansas, Utah, Illinois, New Mexico and Washington. Advocacy groups like Voces de la Frontera, Students United for Immigrant Rights (SUFRIR) and Students United in the Struggle (SUITS) have been calling for this change since 2004.

Al Levie, teacher at Horlick High School, sees this as a great step forward for education in Wisconsin. He says "as an advisor to SUFRIR and SUITS, I am extremely proud of the thousands of students who weighed in on this important issue over the last 4 years. They marched, rallied, testified and they held their elected politicians accountable on this issue. I truly believe if they had not struggled for it, in state tuition would not have become a reality. In state will remove a huge financial barrier for our immigrant students wishing to pursue a college education."

While community groups commend legislators for including in state tuition in the final budget, they were disappointed by the removal of a provision that would have created drivers cards for immigrants. Christine Neumann Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera claims, "This is no doubt a historic day for civil rights in education, but the crisis in the immigrant community created by the loss of drivers licenses will not go away. It goes without saying that we along with our partners in the Coalition for Safe Roads will work to see that legislation is introduced this session for drivers cards."

She adds, "Part of the campaign will include community dialogue and forums where people can voice their feelings on drivers cards and also immigration reform. We recognize that the long term solution to problems like in state tuition and drivers cards depend on passage of fair comprehensive immigration reform and that will of course continue to be a cornerstone of our organizing."

rock steady · 06-30-2009, 12:48 PM

This is great news for all of our Wisconsin DREAMies. Thanks for posting, Nick!

lookingforchange · 06-30-2009, 01:47 PM

Good News especially for Wisconsin dreamers and all of us too. The momentum will build up

KindaWant · 07-01-2009, 01:22 AM

hell yeah!

Feenmi · 07-01-2009, 03:00 AM

awesome news. Congrats to all the Wisconsin Dreamies!!

Selfignorance · 07-01-2009, 05:06 AM

They are just doing that because obviously there will be more revenue from letting us attend college. I don't understand how they will allow undocumented students to attend college but not get Driver's Licenses. How does this make sense???

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Wisconsin approves in-state tuition for undocumented students