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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 27, 2020 08:30 AM |
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| From: | Representative Perry S. Warren |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | In-State Tuition for H-1B Visa Immigrants |
| Pennsylvania has a great state- and community college-system. Yet, in some community colleges and PASSHE schools, enrollment is declining. There exists in Pennsylvania a potential source of new enrollees in our PASSHE schools and community colleges: dependents of holders of H-1B visas, who reside in Pennsylvania and have attended and graduated from high schools in Pennsylvania. These students presently would be charged out-of-state tuition if enrolled in a Pennsylvania community college or PASSHE school. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services states that H-1B visas apply "to people who wish to perform services in a specialty occupation, services of exceptional merit and ability relating to a Department of Defense cooperative research and development project, or services as a fashion model of distinguished merit or ability." New Jersey recently enacted legislation to allow dependent students whose parents or guardians hold H-1B visas to qualify for in-state tuition at public institutions of higher education if they meet specific criteria. Similarly, my legislation will allow students residing in Pennsylvania to receive in-state tuition to PASSHE schools and community colleges if they are dependents of a parent or guardian who holds an H-1B visa. This bill will help boost attendance at our community colleges and PASSHE schools, encourage high school graduates residing in Pennsylvania to pursue higher education in Pennsylvania, and provide greater higher education access to students whose parent(s) or guardian hold an H-1B visa. Please join me in co-sponsoring legislation to allow dependents of H-1B visa holders residing in Pennsylvania, and who have attended and received a diploma or equivalent from a Pennsylvania high school, to pay in-state tuition at our community colleges and PASSHE schools. |
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| View Attachment | ||
Introduced as HB2710