Should Illegal Immigrants Be Required To Pay Out Of State Tuition? Indiana Says Yes.

Bill Shaw/WFIU

This is one of several similar laws which passed in different state legislatures.

A report from our colleague Lynae Sowinski over at Indiana Public Media on a new law requiring undocumented residents to pay out-of-state tuition.

Because of a new state law, many students attending Indiana University could be forced to pay out-of-state tuition if they cannot verify their US citizenship.

IU Associate Vice President of Student Enrollment Services Jim Kennedy said the law could create a roadblock to some students’ education. But, he says the university must follow the law so it is reviewing the information of those who said they could not verify their citizenship.

“Right now the estimate is about 100 students system wide,” he said.  “But at this point we’re not sure that all those students have answered those questions correctly so we’re going back and reviewing.”

Students who do not meet the requirements will be forced to pay out-of state tuition, a cost which is three times that of in-state tuition.

La Casa Latino Cultural Center Director Lillian Casillas said this could deter successful students from continuing with college.

“It’s really disappointing because the students that I work with are usually the high achievers academically,” she said.  “They are very involved in the community regarding service, they often take leadership jobs. I mean, those are the students I’d think would be the most ideal.”

Casillas said it is not just Latinos who are facing this problem and the law could limit students coming to IU from around the world.