Great news for foreigners in WA - bad news for UW

Parent Cafe
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<p>And bad news for the residents:</p>

<p>Bill</a> gives in-state tuition to foreign professionals, families in Washington on visa | Seattle Times Newspaper</p>

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Under House Bill 1487, which takes effect July 1, the foreign workers would qualify for the same tuition rate as state residents if they have been in the state at least a year on certain kinds of temporary work visas, such as the H-1B.</p>

<p>The measure passed amid a roiling budget crisis and hundreds of millions of dollars in cutbacks to higher education. It was nicknamed the "Microsoft subsidy bill" by some lawmakers who say the software giant and its workers surely could afford to pay the higher tuition rates.</p>

<p>Subject to lively legislative debate, the bill received little attention outside the Capitol. An analysis put the immediate tuition revenue loss at the University of Washington at about $430,000, with potential for bigger losses in future years, and about $215,000 at Washington State University.</p>

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<p>I'm not pleased, to say the least. This is the money that UW and WSU cannot afford to lose.</p>

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<p>So people who have paid taxes into the Washington system can get in state rates. That makes sense.</p>

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<p>What, no comments yet from Barrons?</p>

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<p>I agree that this makes sense: these workers have met the criteria for residency and pay the state taxes that help support the universities. Making tuition affordable for their children is an incentive for them to remain in the US and to continue working here. Foreign talent brings huge wealth to Washington, and the rest of the country - this is one state’s way of saying, ‘thanks.’</p>

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<p>Sounds like it’s time for the UW development folks to make a visit to Microsoft.</p>

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<p>If the H1B visa workers are subject to WA state income taxes then I don’t see why their children should not be eligible for in-state tuition. </p>

<p>If I were a WA state lawmaker I would offer an amendment to allow the state universities to increase in-state tuition so that the new law does not impact in-state tuition revenue.</p>

<p>ETA: I bet this thread also gets moved to the politics subforum.</p>

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<p>WA doesn’t have a state income tax, but those people do pay other taxes - real estate, sales, etc. that residents pay.</p>

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<p>“If I were a WA state lawmaker I would offer an amendment to allow the state universities to increase in-state tuition so that the new law does not impact in-state tuition revenue.”</p>

<p>They already have. At UW, it will be 14% a year for each of the next two years.</p>

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<p>You know it never made any sense to me when our friend’s daughter who came to this country (legally) with her parents when she was 10 years old had to pay out of state tuition at UW while an individual who was here illegally was able to pay in state tuition rates.</p>