New Hampshire Politicians Finally Do Something Right

Students at New Hampshire’s public colleges who are illegal immigrants would have to pay higher out-of-state tuition rates under a bill passed by the House.

The House voted 250-88 in favor of legislation to require in-state students to prove they are also legal residents of the United States.

The state would also have to establish a system to prove students are in the country legally to receive in-state tuition. The bill now goes to the Senate.

In a legislative analysis written for the Republican majority on the House Education Committee, supporters of the bill said the burden would be upon the applicant to prove his or her citizenship.

The rules would require the same signed affidavit and documentation process applicants use to prove state residency.

Opponents, led by Democratic Rep. Mary Stuart Gile of Concord, said no one had testified during the committee’s hearing on the bill to indicate this was a problem in the University System of New Hampshire.

Republican Rep. Ralph Bohem, of Litchfield, disputed their logic as “faulty.”
“If no one checks, how would they know if there’s a problem?” Bohem asked.

In the case a student was found to be an illegal immigrant, Gile, a native of Canada and a naturalized American, said she hopes the university would work with the student in the naturalization process and continue providing them in-state tuition rates.

Bohem said illegal immigrants cannot be considered New Hampshire residents and should not receive in-state tuition.

Opponents argued any child who grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from its schools should be afforded in-state tuition. It was not the state’s responsibility to enforce immigration laws, they said, which are the federal government’s responsibility.

In the case a student was found to be an illegal immigrant, Gile, a native of Canada and a naturalized American, said she hopes the university would work with the student in the naturalization process and continue providing them in-state tuition rates.

“The ultimate goal should be to recognize these students were working to create a better life for themselves,” said Gile.

The university system comprises four schools: the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, Keene State College and Granite State College.

The system enrolls more than 29,000 undergraduate and graduate students, but it is unclear how many would be affected if the tuition legislation becomes law.

In-state tuition rates at the system’s four schools range from $275 per credit hour at Granite State College to $12,060 a year at the University of New Hampshire, while out-of-state rates range from $285 per credit hour at Granite State to $25,380 annually at UNH.

To qualify for in-state tuition rates under current policy, students only need to prove they have lived in New Hampshire for at least 12 months prior to registering.