4/14/2013
 
 
 
Call Monday Morning, April 15 to
kill the bill!
kill the bill
Tell your State Representative
to vote NO on SB207!       
             
    
  
Call your State Representative Monday morning, April 15

Indiana flag state map

 

Click here to find out who represents you.

 

Once you know which district they represent, you can create their email address by typing  H (as in House) + district number + @in.gov

Example:  the email address for Rep. Behning of District 91 is H91@in.gov  

 

 

Toll Free Numbers for Indiana House:

1-800-382-9841 and 1-800-382-9842

  

Please call Monday morning, April 15, 2013 and tell your State Representative to vote NO on SB207.  The House Session begins at 10 a.m. Eastern.  You may watch the vote and debate on SB207 in the House Chamber on Monday via webcast at this link: http://www.in.gov/legislative/2441.htm

 

Your calls and emails are working!  Read this: 

http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x1319131704/Push-to-roll-back-ban-on-in-state-tuition-for-immigrants-stops-short    

Please keep it up so we can kill the bill now!  If we don't, the fight will continue when SB207 goes back to the Senate and if it goes on to the Governor.

   

Recap:  Originally, Indiana state universities asked your state legislators to pass 2 separate bills.   SB177 would give in-state tuition to certain citizens who are veterans but only if they prove they are legal residents of Indiana.  Veterans would have to provide documentation such as an Indiana driver's license, vehicle registration, voter registration or proof of employment in Indiana.

SB207 would give in-state tuition rates to certain illegal immigrants who were simply enrolled in college in 2011 without requiring them to prove legal residence.  Unequal and unnfair!

 

On April 11th, both bills were rolled into one--SB207.  It's almost as though veterans are being used as pawns to give state legislators cover to help illegal aliens!

 

Why do I say this?  Because the universities control their own Resident Tuition Policy.  They have the power to change their policy to give in-state tuition to all honorably discharged Veterans--without any legislation whatsoever!  Read this from Purdue's website: 

"The Indiana legislature, through state statute, has delegated to Indiana's institutions of higher education the authority to determine when a person becomes eligible for Resident Student status for the purpose of paying fees at the university. As a land-grant, state-supported institution of higher education, Purdue University recognizes the significance of the issue of residence classification. Therefore, its Board of Trustees has established different tuition and fee rates for Residents and non-Residents." http://www.purdue.edu/policies/business-finance/iid1.html

 

If the veterans don't get in-state rates because SB207 fails to pass--put the blame where it belongs--on the universities!  Don't blame the legislators who were put in this predicament by the universities!

 

Prior to 2011, the universities were violating their own residence classification policies in order to help illegals.  Had they obeyed their own rules, there would have been no illegal aliens enrolled in their universities!  This is a quote from Indiana University's policy, "A non-U.S. citizen will not be considered for residence classification under this policy unless the Office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has granted the individual either lawful permanent resident status or an immigration status that would permit the non-U.S. citizen to establish a domicile in Indiana." 

Read more here: http://registrar.indiana.edu/resiinfo.shtml  

 

But, since Indiana passed a law in 2011 that prevented illegals from getting in-state tuition rates, the universities have to get SB207 passed before they can go back to giving illegals a break.   

 

SB207 creates a double standard where citizens are required to follow legal procedures but illegal immigrants are not.  Indiana has not entirely barred illegal aliens from attending college.  But we should not be required to give them our cheapest tuition rate and make it easier for them to graduate and compete against our own children, veterans and other citizens for scarce jobs.  This is unfair!  The law-abiding people of Indiana should not be forced to pay for the mistakes of the illegal immigrant students' parents.  If they want all the perks of citizenship, then they need to follow the rules.   

 

Important info about SB207 and costs...
                             

The authors of SB207 said it was a very limited bill that might only affect 200-300 illegals.  If that's the case, it will cost Indiana $4-$6 million in lost tuition fees per year.

 

Your calls and emails prevented state lawmakers from expanding SB207 to include an estimated 6,000 more illegals who are currently in our high schools.  This would have added $120,000,000 in lost tuition revenues.

 

You would think the schools must have plenty of money to spare if they can give illegals up to $6 million in tuition benefits.  However, the Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education says she has asked our legislators to increase funding for Indiana colleges!  Read her opinion piece here: 

http://www.indystar.com/article/20130327/OPINION10/303270070/Higher-ed-commissioner-Indiana-needs-sense-urgency-increase-college-completion-rate

 

Did you know that this year's budget bill includes $300 million more for education?

Did you know that the Indiana House's proposed budget shows 63% going to education-related expenses? 

(46% for K-12; 12% for higher education and 5% for teacher's pensions.)  

 

In addition to all this, we believe federal law 8 USC 1623 would apply to some 30,000 citizen students who are paying higher out-of-state tuition rates.  If they are treated equally under the law and receive the same, lower tuition benefit as illegals, the total revenue loss to Indiana could exceed $484 million annually.

 

The legislators can pretend that SB207 has no fiscal impact, but it does!  The state subsidizes the universities which were created to benefit our children.  First, the universities lose revenue by helping illegal aliens, then they turn to the state taxpayers asking for more money to make up for these losses!  The people of Indiana have done nothing wrong.  We should not be punished by having to pay for the mistakes of the illegal immigrant students' parents!  SB207 must be defeated!  The universities must take responsibility, step up and do right by our veterans.  They have the power to do this without SB207!    

            

Newspaper articles and additional reading about SB207

http://heraldbulletin.com/breakingnews/x1319128443/Republican-super-PAC-leader-backs-immigration-reform

 

http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x1319131704/Push-to-roll-back-ban-on-in-state-tuition-for-immigrants-stops-short

 

http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x237741538/House-committee-OKs-in-state-tuition-for-some-undocumented-students

 

http://heraldbulletin.com/breakingnews/x1319128443/Republican-super-PAC-leader-backs-immigration-reform

 

http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x1340806639/House-committee-debates-ban-on-in-state-tuition-for-immigrant-children

 

http://heraldbulletin.com/local/x237736029/Conservative-coalition-supports-rollback-of-immigrant-tuition-ban

 

http://heraldbulletin.com/columns/x1319121038/Maureen-Hayden-Argument-over-state-s-role-in-immigration-enforcement-not-over

 

Click here to read my testimony and the follow-up email with the committee:  http://www.ifire.org/phpbb3b/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2607

 

Click here to read more info including newspaper coverage of the hearing: http://www.ifire.org/phpbb3b/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2608               

 

  
Indiana SB 207 would violate existing federal law! 
 
Click here to read Senate Bill 207
 
  
  law and gavel   
Now read the federal law!  
 8 USC § 1623 -
Limitation on eligibility for preferential treatment of aliens not lawfully present on basis of residence for higher education benefits
  
(a) In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a State (or a political subdivision) for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident.
  
Talking Points against SB 207: 
  
  • While we can sympathize with the plight of illegal immigrant students, we cannot fix their problem by passing SB 207 unless we want to violate 8 USC, Section 1623 of the federal immigration law which is printed above.

 

  • The federal law says that illegal immigrants must not get an unfair ($20,000/yr.)tuition advantage over citizens. If illegals receive in-state tuition rates, then every citizen should receive the same.

 

  • The Fiscal Impact Statement on SB 207 says that the impact is "unknown but probably minor."  However, the Indianapolis Star estimated there were 300 illegal alien students who would be impacted by an in-state tuition bill.  The Senate Education committee heard testimony that it could be as low as 200 or as high as several thousand. 

  

  • Indiana University charges an annual tuition rate of roughly $10,000 for in-state students and $30,000 for out-of-state students.  That leaves $20,000 which won't be collected if the Indiana General Assembly chooses to help illegal aliens compete against Hoosier graduates. 
  
  • 300 illegals x $20,000 = $6 million per year in lost revenues.

  

  • The language in SB207 seems to say that any illegal immigrant who was enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade in Indiana as of July, 2011 can take advantage of in-state tuition rates.  If this is correct, the loss in revenues will amount to approximately $52 million over 13 years, and this is not just an inconsequential bill targeted to help only a few illegal immigrants.

  

  • SB 207 violates existing federal law by giving illegal immigrants the benefit of lower, in-state tuition rates while denying the same benefit to citizen students from outside Indiana.

 

  • IU charges over $30,000 in annual tuition/fees for out-of-state students while only charging in-state students $10,000. If this law passes, the federal law says that out-of-state students must be eligible for the same benefit offered to the illegals. If SB 207 passes every out-of-state student would be within the law to demand their $20,000 back because SB 207 discriminates against law-abiding citizens.

 

  • There are a fixed number of classroom seats so this bill will foreclose the graduation potential of citizens and legal residents who are turned away.

 

  • Taxpayers should not subsidize the education of illegal immigrants just because the Obama Administration gave some a two-year stay from deportation and a work permit. That was done without congressional authorization and is being challenged in court.

 

 

  • Until every Hoosier graduate who wants a job has a job, the Indiana General Assembly should not be using taxpayer money to help illegal aliens compete against them.  See this previous IFIRE Alert about the impact of illegal immigration on our own graduates.

 

IMPORTANT LINKS:

Heritage Foundation Report on In-state Tuition: 
Indiana University Tuition Rates:   
IFIRE Alert on Impact of Illegals on American Graduates: 
  

 

 

 

 

 

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