What is the highest state/public university tuition in Texas?

Why did Rick Perry of Texas sign a law giving in state tuition to illegal immigrants?

• http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20100314-Number-of-illegal-immigrants-getting-in-9925.ece The number of illegal immigrant college students paying in-state tuition and receiving financial aid at Texas' public colleges and universities continues to climb, according to state higher education records. During the fall semester, 12,138 students - about 1 percent of all Texas college students - benefited from the state law granting in-state tuition, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Most of the immigrants among those students are illegal, and some others are not legal permanent residents or U.S. citizens. Texas awarded about $33.6 million in state and institutional financial aid to those students between fall 2004 and summer 2008. In 2001, Texas became the first state in the country to pass an in-state tuition law. The law created a national movement. Many private universities also now award aid to illegal immigrant students. Now some of the students are graduating but unable to work legally as professionals. Julie, 29, who moved from Mexico to Austin at age 12, earned a degree in nursing from the University of Texas. She is unable to work, so instead she volunteers in Dallas. "You have people here, and they're trained," said Julie, who did not want her last name used because of her immigration status. "The state has invested in us, so why not let us be contributing members of society and our community?" But immigration reform has stalled. Congress has repeatedly failed to pass the Dream Act, a proposal that would put the students on a path to citizenship. Critics question how much tuition discounts and state financial aid cost the state, especially during tough economic times. A lawsuit has been filed challenging the law. Even so, Gov. Rick Perry supports the law aiding illegal immigrant students. In a recent debate, he said the students are on the path to citizenship. However, they actually won't be on that path unless the Dream Act passes. Illegal immigrants entering Texas' higher education system are direct beneficiaries of a 1982 Supreme Court decision, Plyler vs. Doe. Parents in Tyler sued after the state began charging tuition for illegal immigrant children. The court ruled that Texas and the rest of the country must educate illegal immigrant children free of charge in public schools. Some of the most vocal illegal immigration opponents don't oppose the decision. But they say higher education is different, because it is tuition-based. Suit challenges law A lawsuit was filed in December challenging Texas' law providing the students in-state tuition and state aid. The students are not eligible for federal aid such as Pell Grants. Attorneys for the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas sued the University of Houston, Houston Community College and Lone Star College systems in Harris County District Court, but the case was moved to federal court. "It's not like we're swimming in budget surpluses," said attorney David Rogers. "It's the responsibility of the government of Mexico to educate Mexican citizens." Challenges to similar laws are also occurring in California and Nebraska. Arizona bans illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition. Rogers argued that taxpayers suffer because of the law. It's unfair, he added, that the state gives benefits that students from Oklahoma or other states can't receive. A challenge to a similar law in Kansas failed in 2005 after a federal judge found that out-of-state college students had no standing to challenge the law there, since they had not been harmed by it. Rogers said states are not supposed to offer benefits to illegal immigrants that are not offered to eligible U.S. citizens. But University of Houston law professor Michael A. Olivas said federal law clearly allows states to draft their own policies, and he believes the Texas case is similar to the Kansas one. "It is a matter for states to determine," he said. "In-state status is a state issue." Illegal immigrant students were never barred from enrolling in Texas colleges, but the higher tuition price tag for nonstate residents often meant they couldn't afford to attend. The Texas law requires students to attend school in the state for at least three years before graduation from a Texas high school. Students also must file an affidavit saying they plan to apply for permanent residency as soon as possible. State officials have argued that the treatment is not preferential in comparison to residency requirements for other students. State Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, has tried sponsoring a bill denying education benefits to illegal immigrants in the past, but he later realized that went against the Plyler precedent. "I have concerns about the expense for taxpayers," Berman said. "W

• Answer:

  They should be arrested for proving they are illegal immigrants when they register.