Wisconsin Redemption: In-State Tuition for Wisconsin Undocumented Students

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the Wisconsin State Assembly passed on an opportunity to enact meaningful reform by stripping a proposal from the budget to grant undocumented immigrants driver's certificates. In that same action, the legislature also stripped a provision granting Wisconsin immigrant students in-state tuition. For whatever reason, be it their realization of the folly of their ways or their seduction by the added $$$ that would be pouring into the coffers of state schools, the Wisconsin SA reinstated the in-state tuition provision. In doing so, Wisconsin became the 11th state to grant in-state tuition to undocumented students.

This is certainly great news for Wisconsin DREAMies. I live in IL, where the State Assembly passed a similar in-state provision in 2003, so I understand what an enormous blessing this is for those students. There are many deserving students that will now have the opportunity to attend college, and to that, I raise my glass.

Finally, as an aside:

It is always wise to read the bill before making any premature judgments. To those critics who cry foul, here is the budget, which you can read for yourself. Hopefully, that will assuage any fears or frustrations that you all may have, although I doubt it will.