The American Dream and a College Education
Long gone are the days where a college education wasn’t a necessity for almost any line of work. That’s why getting a college education is so important for natural-born citizens and young immigrants alike. But even state schools can be prohibitively expensive –and private schools? For many, they’re out of the question.
But an interesting thing is happening in America. More and more states are allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition for a college education. Florida is the most recent convert to this trend, a good sign that the winds of change are a blowin’. Sadly, Tennessee rejected the legislation that would have made it possible in a vote last year… but in our guts, we have a feeling that might change sooner than we think.
Signs that a change is coming
If you had told us 5 years ago that Tennessee legislators would even consider a bill that allowed non-citizens living in the state to pay in-state tuition, we wouldn’t have believed you. But if our elected officials are creating these types of bills and debating them in the state Congress, that means we’re moving towards a more positive outlook. And when you look at some of the measures the Nashville Metro Council has tried to pass, like banning food trucks (and by “food,” we mean “tacos” in particular) and requiring all government documents to be in English, the idea that our elected representative are talking about letting non-citizens pay the same for a college education… it’s incredible.
Do we have a long way to go? Yes – but maybe not as long as we thought. Immigrants contribute to society on every level; according to the New York Times, immigrants and their children have built 40% of all Fortune 500 companies. And in today’s world, in order for that trend to continue, access to a quality education is necessary. So we’re choosing to see Florida’s latest decision as one that will be inevitable in the great state of Tennessee as well.
And we cannot WAIT to see what happens then. We just know it’s going to be amazing.
Perry A. Craft has dedicated his life to helping people in need. He has tried, settled, or resolved numerous civil and criminal cases in State and Federal courts, and has represented teachers and administrators before school boards, administrative judges, and the state Board of Education. Learn more about Attorney Craft.