In-state tuition bill bad idea

Based on action in the Texas Senate, it appears the latest threats to border security are students who want to go to college.

A Senate subcommittee will hold a hearing April 6 on a bill to repeal a law overwhelmingly passed 14 years ago to allow undocumented immigrants who graduate from Texas high schools to pay in-state tuition rates in college. The students must have lived in the state for three years and pledge to apply for legal status as soon as possible.

Normally such proposed legislation would have been sent to the Higher Education or State Affairs committee. But Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, whose campaign platform included doing away with in-state tuition for these immigrants, sent the bill to the Senate Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee, whose border security committee will hold hearings.

Presumably tying the bill to border security means it will have easier passage in the Senate.

This is nonsense. These students who graduated from public schools should not be discouraged from attending college, as that is one way to ensure they become contributors to society.

If the bill passes the Senate, the House should reject it.

This story was originally published March 27, 2015 at 8:28 PM with the headline "In-state tuition bill bad idea."