FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2008 file photo, students walk on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. The University of Michigan decided Thursday, July 18, 2013, to allow students living in the country without authorization to pay in-state tuition, a victory for immigration reform activists who said that the University of Michigan, one of the nation's most prestigious higher education institutions, is out of reach for high school graduates living in the state without a residence permit. (AP Photo/Tony Ding, File)(Credit: AP)

BY DAVID EGGERT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The University of Michigan on Thursday decided to let immigrants living in the country illegally pay lower, in-state tuition, a victory for activists who said one of the nation’s most prestigious schools is financially out of a reach for high school graduates living in the state without legal permission.

The move applies to the flagship Ann Arbor campus and satellites in Flint and Dearborn and joins Michigan with other top public colleges like the University of Texas and the University of California, where students qualify for in-state tuition if they went to state high schools regardless of citizenship status. The Board of Regents voted 6-2 along party lines to make the change after university students waged a year-plus campaign for “tuition equality” that featured silent protests and other public demonstrations.

Democrats supported the plan, while Republicans voted against it. The proposal also allows members of the military to receive in-state tuition, regardless of where they live.

“These students want nothing more than what my family wanted and what every other student wants, which is to launch their lives from this university. These are students who have in most instances spent virtually all of their lives in Michigan,” said regent Mark Bernstein.

With a national immigration overhaul elusive, a small but growing number of states — 16 — have allowed in-state tuition rates for the immigrants since 2001, including 14 that passed laws explicitly authorizing the moves, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Two OK’d it through governing board decisions.

Three states bar the students from qualifying for in-state tuition, and two others prohibit them from enrolling altogether in public universities.

Though Michigan hasn’t enacted legislation either allowing or prohibiting in-state tuition rates for people here illegally, a few of its smaller 15 public universities have been able to allow them to pay in-state tuition. That’s because they’re independent under the state’s constitution. Advocates are hoping a high-profile step by Michigan’s most prominent school — and one of the top public universities in the U.S. — will set the stage for others to follow.

“It’s going to put the University of Michigan on the map for a college that really puts into action what we say we believe,” said Laura Sanders, a faculty member.

It costs $13,100 for in-state tuition and fees at the university, compared to nearly $40,400 for out-of-state tuition and fees. The Ann Arbor campus has more than 42,000 students.

One who hopes to attend the university is Javier Contreras, of Ann Arbor, who moved with his family to Michigan from Mexico when he was 4. The 18-year-old got into the school this year but would have had to pay out-of-state tuition because of his undocumented status, so he’ll first attend a local community college on scholarship to study computer science.

“I’m going to try to finish my last two years at U of M now that I can afford it,” an elated Contreras said while celebrating with dozens of supporters who attended the meeting.

His father, Jose, choked back tears while telling the board his family’s story, saying they came to escape poverty.

“He was a little boy when I bring him over to the United States,” he said. “I know you members of the University of Michigan (are) same as me, you also have kids. I know you wish the best for them. … I wish you can help us out and let these kids do their best because I know they have what it takes to become professionals.”

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman said she voted no because the matter is best left to the federal government. Critics in other states have said a 1996 federal law prohibits states from giving students who are living here illegally in-state tuition unless they charge everyone that rate.

“I’m concerned about whether this is appropriate under federal law and believe this type of national issue should be resolved at the federal level, although I am supportive of the expansion of in-state tuition for veterans who have served our nation,” she said.

While happy with the regents’ vote, activists criticized a provision requiring university applicants living in the U.S. without permission to have attended a Michigan middle school for two years along with a Michigan high school for at least three years. They said the middle school requirement is unnecessary, not used elsewhere and will hurt students who arrived in the U.S. later.

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Information from: Detroit Free Press, http://www.freep.com

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University of Michigan approves in-state tuition for military, unauthorized immigrants

By KELLIE WOODHOUSE Higher education reporter

Unauthorized immigrants schooled in Michigan and all military and honorably discharged veterans will now receive in-state tuition rates at the University of Michigan.

Michigan student Curdit Suri holds a sign as he addresses University of Michigan regents in support of tuition equality during a December 2012 board of regents meeting at the Michigan Union.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo

The Board of Regents voted 6-2 to approve the change to its residency guidelines during a 3 p.m. public meeting Thursday at the North Campus Research Complex.
The vote was along party lines, with the board's Democrats voting in favor of the measure and Republicans voting against it.

The approval means affected students pay $27,250 less in tuition. In the fall Michigan residents will pay $13,142 a year, while non-residents will pay $40,392. Under current tuition levels, the difference amounts to $109,000 over the course of four years.

Regent Andrew Richner, a Republican, said he has concerns about the legality of the policy and voted against it. Meanwhile, regent Mark Bernstein, a Democrat, praised the change, saying that as a public university U-M should embrace immigrant students.

"This university has always been a place with profoundly important public mission," Bernstein said, adding that a century ago his family would have been considered unauthorized. "A new generation comes to us with the same exact hopes and dreams."

Andrea Fischer Newman, a Republican from Ann Arbor, was supportive of offering in-state rates to veterans, but not unauthorized immigrants.

"This is a matter best left to the federal government. I'm concerned about whether this is appropriate under federal law and believe this type of national issue should be resolved at the federal level," she said.

The changes were recommended by top U-M administrators after a year-long consideration of U-M's residency requirements.

Sixteen states have provisions for unauthorized immigrants who grew up in the state to attend state colleges at the reduced rate. Fourteen states provide the allowance through legislation. In Michigan, however, the state's three research universities are constitutionally autonomous and residency requirements are set by school's governing boards.

Under existing practices, unauthorized immigrants who grew up in Michigan pay the out-of-state rate to attend the state's flagship university. Under new guidelines, students who attended Michigan middle school and high school will have the ability to pay in-state rates as long as they matriculate to the Ann Arbor school within 28 months of graduating high school.
The university's residency requirements have been criticized as making it difficult for veterans from Michigan to receive the in-state rate if they were stationed overseas for a long period of time. The proposed changes will ensure all active military and honorably discharged veterans, regardless of their home state, will receive the in-state rate.

"Over the past 10 years our country has asked a lot of its veterans," said Joshua Simister, a U-M student and leader of the school's Student Veterans of America chapter. "We've been frustrated over the past 10 years that we have not had full access to in-state tuition."
Simister said U-M's prior guidelines were "a little bit ludicrous."

"Of all the hurdles [returning veterans] face, removing one hurdle ... changes the life of that veteran." he said.

Hundreds of students have been advocating for tuition equality for about two years, protesting outside the Michigan Union and staging sit-ins at university governance meetings.
"They consider themselves Wolverines, because they grew up in Michigan," Jose Contreras told regents Thursday, speaking of his two sons who attended elementary, middle and high school in Ann Arbor. His son Javier has been vocal at regents meetings over the past year, petitioning regents to change their residency policies. "They were like 4- or 5-years-old when they grew up here. They have so many friends. They are not considered Mexicans."

Regent Julia Darlow said the student activism compelled the Board of Regents to look at an issue many hadn't considered previously. She said students "worked for so long and so effectively to bring this proposal before us."

The changes represent the first comprehensive residency guideline revisions since 2005. The changes would take effect in January 2014.

In each of the past two years, students have filed about 2,000 applications for resident classification on all three U-M campuses. According to U-M figures, nearly 80 percent of those were granted in-state tuition.

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