Lawsuit Challenges College Fee
Break for Illegal Immigrants
SACRAMENTO, Calif.
A group of out-of-state college students filed a class-action lawsuit challenging a law that lets some illegal immigrants who graduate from California high schools pay lower in-state fees at the state’s public colleges and universities.
The 2002 law allows students who attend at least three years of high school in California to qualify for the same in-state fee break given California citizens, regardless of their immigration status.
The lower fee levels can save students thousands of dollars a year. For example, out-of-state students pay nearly $24,000 a year to attend the University of California, about $17,000 more than California residents.
The lawsuit was filed in Yolo County on behalf of 42 plaintiffs, including two children of a former San Diego congressman. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say the policy affects 60,000 out-of-state students who pay higher fees than in-state illegal immigrants.
“The class becomes bigger each year because each year thousands of law-abiding freshmen enter our system,” says Redwood City attorney Michael Brady.
At issue is a federal law the plaintiffs claim specifically bars states from offering benefits to illegal immigrants without also making them available to U.S. citizens.
