Christie Holds Ceremonial Signing Of Immigrant Tuition Bill

UNION CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie held a ceremonial signing of a bill Tuesday that lowers tuition costs at public colleges for New Jersey students who lack lawful immigration status.

Christie signed the bill privately last month, the day after the Legislature agreed to drop financial aid eligibility for the students. New Jersey is one of the most recent states to pass the so-called "DREAM Act" legislation, which extends cheaper in-state tuition rates to qualifying students who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children.

Similar legislation has stalled at the federal level.

Listen to Christie Holds Ceremonial Signing Of Immigrant Tuition Bill

As WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported, it seemed like Christie was looking for the political middle on the issue, by making undocumented residents eligible for in-state tuition, but not financial aid. Critics say Christie is framing it as an economic issue.

The state is investing in kindergarten through eighth grade. "And the question is do we want to maximize our investment through giving them nothing more than an opportunity," Christie said.

Christie also met with state Hispanic leaders Tuesday at an elementary school in heavily Hispanic Union City.

DREAM Act supporters applaud the move, but say the elimination of financial aid eligibility will still make college unattainable for many immigrant students.

Li Adorno, who was born in Mexico and graduated from Union City High School, feels the bill is bittersweet. He said he could use the financial aid.

"Right now, I'm struggling paying for community college," he said. "So state aid would definitely help me."

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.