Tuition break for illegal immigrants: Western universities offer "in-state" rates. (Update).

No sooner had regents at the University of California voted in January to grant in-state tuition rates to state-based illegal immigrants, than attention turned to the same issue in Washington and Utah. Lawmakers in both of these states as welt are considering a similar move. Texas already has a law that extends in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.

"The fact of the matter is that we have a large number of immigrants in our state," says Washington State Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez-Kenney (D-Seattle), who adds that this population comprises not just Hispanic people, but Russians and Asians, too. "There is a need to allow them access to higher education. We do that for illegal immigrants in K-12, regardless of their status."

The in-state tuition rate for a year of study at the University of Washington is $3,800, less than one-third of the annual $12,000 out-of-state tuition rate. The break would be quite a boon for the state's illegal immigrants. However, as in California, legislators in Washington will ask for some caveats to the new ruling: Illegal immigrants who are accepted to the University of Washington will have to prove they are in the process of gaining legal U.S. citizenship. UC already requires that proof, as welt as verification of graduation from a California high school.

Why would legislators and educators consider such tuition breaks during a recession? The economy is obviously not the driving factor here; UC regents say they believe offering the relief is the right thing to do.

But the move also sends a positive message to a growing Latino voter bloc in California, adds David Hayes-Bautista, a professor at UCLA's School of Medicine. He is one of a group of Hispanic faculty members that meets with UC's president to advise on Latino issues in higher education. Latinos currently account for one-third of the California population, but represent only 17 percent of registered voters, according to the 2000 census (that figure is up from 7 percent, in 1990). Allowing access to higher education for California's illegal immigrants--many of whom are Hispanic--encourages them to gain legal status, as well as voting rights, says Hayes-Bautista. It also leads to greater access to gainful employment.

Hayes-Bautista quells fears that California's instate tuition decision will result in providing education at a less expensive rate to a "limitless pool" of illegal-immigrant students. At most, he says, there will be 70 to 200 students in California impacted annually because of the specific requirements for eligibility. Kenney offers a similar estimate for the University of Washington.