It pays to go to college illegally

This year, nearly 7,500 qualified California residents ? who would otherwise be entering California state universities as incoming freshmen ? are likely to be turned away for lack of funds. Meanwhile, approximately 7,500 illegal immigrants will receive heavily subsidized university education at a cost of between $45 million and $65 million annually at those same universities.Is it just me, or is there something wrong with this picture?Under a law signed in 2001 by Gov. Gray Davis, an illegal alien who has graduated from a California high school after three years of attendance ? all while in violation of U.S. immigration laws ? is entitled to attend a community college or state university at the in-state tuition rate previously reserved for legal California residents.The subsidy is substantial. At the University of California, proposed student fees for a California resident will be $6,028 next year. Non-residents will pay the full cost of $22,504. The difference is paid by California taxpayers.Under this bizarre law, American citizens from other states pay more than three times as much as illegal aliens to attend California schools. An American citizen who moves to California from Arizona will pay $12,946 to attend the California State University. While she is waiting tables to pay her tuition costs, her taxes will be used to subsidize illegal immigrants who are paying only $2,776 to attend the same school.Perhaps even more galling is the inequity this creates for legal immigrants. Consider two students from Mexico. One has obeyed every immigration law to come to California legally. He applied for the appropriate visas, paid all the fees, ran the gauntlet of applications, and met every requirement for a student visa. The other has broken every immigration law to attend a California high school for the last three years and is in the United States illegally.The immigrant who respected and obeyed our nation?s laws will be charged $22,504 per year to attend the University of California, while the illegal immigrant who disrespected and disobeyed the law will pay only $6,028.What rationale is offered to defend this stark and obvious injustice?The first argument in favor of that measure was that these students were innocent children when their parents illegally brought them to this country and had no choice in the matter. This is true. But they are no longer children. They are of legal age. And as responsible adults, they have an obligation to obey the laws of this nation and that begins by establishing legal residency ? as millions of legal immigrants have done.And until they have established legal residency and agreed to abide by the laws of our nation, they have no claim on taxpayer funds.The second argument is that these are largely disadvantaged young people who require a university education so that they can seek skilled jobs. But under federal law it is illegal to employ them in those jobs. The argument is self-defeating.The third argument is that these are not recent arrivals to our country ? many have been here for many years. That may be true. But why is it that the longer a person has broken a law the more excusable it is for them to continue to break that law? When we are turning away thousands of qualified California residents from the universities for lack of funds, it is not justifiable to continue to pay more than $45 million per year in university subsidies for illegal immigrants.Tom McClintock serves in the California state Senate.