Should Illegal Aliens be admitted in Colleges and Universities in the United States?

Admitting undocumented students in higher education institutions has become one of the American most controversial topics in the last 10 years. In my opinion allowing illegal scholars to incorporate to the U.S. educational system should be accepted because it will benefit the state’s economy due to the high tuition amounts these students have to pay, then these undergraduates will pay more taxes and make greater economic contributions to the USA making a favorably impact in our society since the percentage of professionals and more competitive people will increase.

The reason why higher education institutions should accept illegal aliens is the big economic benefit the states get through the high tuition amounts these people have to pay to be part of the system. It is very well known that students who attend to colleges or universities from another state or a foreign country must pay a very high “out of state” tuition fee.  For example, if an undocumented individual decides to become a Miami Dade College student, it is mandatory to pay an out of state tuition fee of approximately $6,246.24 per term (12 credits) vs.  $1,399.68 residents pay. This extra income will allow the College to earn an average of extra $4,846 for each enrolled undocumented student.  With these higher revenues, schools may be able to improve their budgets despite a struggling economy, expand their facilities and contribute more with the state’s economy.

On the other hand, the country will be directly benefited from all the new taxes not only the educational institutions will make, but also from the new professionals’ contributions if the DREAM Act is enabled. This is a proposal first introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2001, and most recently reintroduced there on May 11, 2011. It basically consists in providing conditional permanent residency to certain illegal aliens of good moral character who graduate from US high schools, arrived in the US as minors, and lived in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment. By letting these people to become a resident, and later a citizen of this country, the numbers of taxpayers increases considerably and, therefore, help to improve the economy. These students would increase the number of competitive people in the workplace. Their parents brought a lot of these immigrants to the United States as young children, which mean that their mother tongue language is different from English and it might still be the only way to communicate at home and/or with the rest of their family members. This will develop them into bilingual professionals, which is what the current globalized and multicultural workforce demands. Accepting illegal immigrants to enroll in college courses will provide generations of individuals with many opportunities to improve their lives and expand their futures; and why not offering a legal status to those who only hope and wish to become a proficient individual in this country?

The debate regarding enrolling undocumented immigrants into community colleges and universities will certainly continue growing up and bringing more polemic. Allowing all undocumented students access to higher education will definitely benefit the economy of educational system, the 50 states and, therefore, of the country in general.  Plus, it will provide generations of individuals with a lot of opportunities to get better and expand their future and, consequently, contribute more to the society as professionals. Denying students the chance to continue their education would be seen as an unjust punishment for a crime that many never chose to commit, despite that be an illegal immigrant is not a crime.