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Nancy Pelosi Backs Tuition Breaks for Illegal Aliens
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is touting congressional Democrats' push to make college more affordable for young people, including those without legal residency. Pelosi joined three of Arizona's four Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives for a town-hall-style meeting Monday at Arizona State University in Tempe. Her visit to ASU marked Pelosi's first domestic public appearance as speaker outside of Washington, D.C., and her home district in San Francisco. The California Democrat praised the recent passage of House legislation that would increase the maximum yearly amount awarded through Pell Grants by $260 - to $4,310 - and cut interest rates on federal student loans in half over the next five years.
Story Continues Below In his proposed budget submitted to Congress, President Bush also has called for increasing the maximum amount awarded through Pell Grants, although Democrats disagree with the administration's plan to cut some student-aid programs to pay for boosting those grants. "When it comes to the education of our young people, this was only a start and there is more to come," Pelosi said. She was joined at ASU by fellow California Rep. Barbara Lee and Arizona Reps. Harry Mitchell, Ed Pastor and Raul Grijalva. In a news conference following the meeting, Pelosi made reference to the effect of Proposition 300, an Arizona initiative passed by voters in November that requires illegal immigrants to pay out-of-state tuition to attend public universities and community colleges. "Our country does not benefit by our depriving young people of an education," Pelosi said.
Pastor said comprehensive immigration-reform legislation will be introduced in Congress next month and it will include provisions that would allow undocumented students who grow up in the United States and graduate from high school to pay in-state college tuition. Mitchell, an ASU graduate elected to the House in November, said college affordability was a chief issue during congressional campaigns, prompting the newly-elected Democratic majority to act quickly on higher-education legislation. Mitchell, a high school teacher for 28 years, said the average ASU student graduates with more than $15,000 of debt.
Grijalva, who sits on the House Education and Labor Committee, said Democrats' goal is to eventually offer Pell Grants of up to $5,100 per year.
© 2007 Associated Press.
Editor's note:
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Immigration/Borders Inside Cover Stories
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