By: Daniel Nardini
You were born and raised in the United States. You spent your whole life or a good part of it in your parents’ home, and you went through the education system up to high school. You have achieved high grades and are applying for college. You are accepted to college. Then suddenly the state you live in requires that you disclose the immigration status of your parents. If you cannot disclose the immigration status of your parents, nor prove they are legally here, you will be classified by the state as a “non-resident” and charged a far higher tuition rate—making it next to impossible for you to go to college. Never mind the fact you are a U.S. citizen, on the basis of your parents’ immigration status you will be denied in-state resident status and thus charged more money to go to college.
If all of this sounds unfair, this is the policy in the State of Florida. The Florida state government has put in a policy that students who qualify to go to college must be classified as non-resident if their parents are undocumented. This is without question a denial of a basic right—the right to higher education. Whatever the immigration status of the parents, it is totally wrong to deny their American-born children the right to have in-state resident status if they were born or now live (within a period of six months) in Florida. In this country there is no such thing as “this group of Americans” and “that group of Americans.” All Americans should have the same rights regardless of their parents’ or grandparents’ immigration status. Because of the parents, these young people are being denied their rights as Americans. If this policy stands then Florida or any other state can deny certain categories of Americans the right to driver’s licenses, the right to receive state and/or federal aid, and even the right to vote all because of their parents’ immigration status!
For many of the children of the undocumented, this state policy will put a college education out of their reach. The average yearly tuition costs for in-state Florida residents is $1,400. However, for non-residents it is $6,524 a year. This is a disparity five times the cost, and places an unjust burden on young Americans because of their parents’ immigration status. Fortunately the Southern Poverty Law Center has brought a lawsuit against the State of Florida for such a blatant and discriminatory law. The rights of American citizens are being totally violated, and this law is in complete contradiction of the U.S. Constitution. We cannot have states making laws that arbitrarily put some American citizens into unequal and discriminatory categories. For the sake of all our young people, this law must be overturned.
Slamming the Door on Higher Education
By: Daniel Nardini
You were born and raised in the United States. You spent your whole life or a good part of it in your parents’ home, and you went through the education system up to high school. You have achieved high grades and are applying for college. You are accepted to college. Then suddenly the state you live in requires that you disclose the immigration status of your parents. If you cannot disclose the immigration status of your parents, nor prove they are legally here, you will be classified by the state as a “non-resident” and charged a far higher tuition rate—making it next to impossible for you to go to college. Never mind the fact you are a U.S. citizen, on the basis of your parents’ immigration status you will be denied in-state resident status and thus charged more money to go to college.
If all of this sounds unfair, this is the policy in the State of Florida. The Florida state government has put in a policy that students who qualify to go to college must be classified as non-resident if their parents are undocumented. This is without question a denial of a basic right—the right to higher education. Whatever the immigration status of the parents, it is totally wrong to deny their American-born children the right to have in-state resident status if they were born or now live (within a period of six months) in Florida. In this country there is no such thing as “this group of Americans” and “that group of Americans.” All Americans should have the same rights regardless of their parents’ or grandparents’ immigration status. Because of the parents, these young people are being denied their rights as Americans. If this policy stands then Florida or any other state can deny certain categories of Americans the right to driver’s licenses, the right to receive state and/or federal aid, and even the right to vote all because of their parents’ immigration status!
For many of the children of the undocumented, this state policy will put a college education out of their reach. The average yearly tuition costs for in-state Florida residents is $1,400. However, for non-residents it is $6,524 a year. This is a disparity five times the cost, and places an unjust burden on young Americans because of their parents’ immigration status. Fortunately the Southern Poverty Law Center has brought a lawsuit against the State of Florida for such a blatant and discriminatory law. The rights of American citizens are being totally violated, and this law is in complete contradiction of the U.S. Constitution. We cannot have states making laws that arbitrarily put some American citizens into unequal and discriminatory categories. For the sake of all our young people, this law must be overturned.