Debate over allowing undocumented immigrants to get in-state tuition

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - In November, Arizona voters will decide if Dreamers can get in-state college tuition.

Supporters of Prop 308 say it would transform the lives of thousands of undocumented immigrants who want to go to college. “It would be life-changing to know that students won’t feel the same way that I did,” said Maria Garcia, a 19-year-old Dreamer.

If passed, Prop 308 would allow all students who attended Arizona high schools for at least two years to get in-state tuition, regardless of their immigration status. In 2006, voters approved a measure preventing undocumented immigrants from qualifying for in-state tuition. Prop 308 would repeal and replace it if passed.

“I am undocumented but I have been here all my life. I have been here since I was 4 years old. I probably went to school with children of people who are opposed to it,” said Garcia.

But others are against the measure. State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita said it is just a distraction from the immigration debate. “They are illegal immigrants and when you come into this country illegally, there are ramifications. So I don’t know why we should be offering an advantage and a discounted tuition rate,” said Ugenti-Rita.

Right now, more than 20 states offer in-state tuition to Dreamers.

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