Bill could give some out-of-staters a break

By Robert Salonga
Daily Bruin Staff

The University of California Board of Regents is considering a
bill at its meeting next week that would exempt undocumented
immigrants and certain nonresidents from out-of-state tuition.

Assembly Bill 540 was adopted by the Legislature and signed by
Gov. Gray Davis last October. Effective this month, the state law
automatically applies to the California State University and
community college systems.

But the bill is applicable at the UC only if the regents approve
it because the board operates independently of the California
Constitution.

Regent Velma Montoya said the bill would allow eligible
out-of-state and immigrant students to feel entitled to the same
treatment as in-state UC students without incurring additional
tuition costs.

Students eligible for the tuition exemption must meet the
following criteria: attend a high school in California for three or
more years and graduate; attend a CSU or community college after
fall 2001; and in the case of undocumented immigrants, file an
affidavit stating the student’s intent to legalize their
immigration status.

The UC estimates that roughly 200 students will be affected by
the bill’s passage.

For the 2002-03 academic year, nonresident tuition is slated at
$11,132, compared to the $4,229 in-state students will pay. The UC
Office of the President proposed a loan program to help eligible
students during the period between the plan’s passage and
implementation.

UC spokesman Brad Hayward said the loan program will no longer
be necessary but declined to provide further details. Nothing is
certain until the language of the bill item is finalized for the
regents’ meeting Jan. 16-17, he said.

Other regents said the item must pass to send a welcoming
message to these students.

“It shows good faith on our part,” said Student
Regent Tracy Davis. “Not everyone has the same
circumstances.”

Since most of these students’ parents already pay state
taxes, it becomes an issue of their right to education, she said,
adding that the number of affected students is not as high as
originally expected.

“Most undocumented students go to community college
because it’s too expensive to attend a UC for four
years,” she continued.

The regents have historically acted uniformly with state tuition
laws, but the exact eligibility requirements are subject to
alteration by UCOP.

Similar bills are being reviewed in the Florida and Texas
legislatures.