Incoming Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto has indicated the Assembly would amend its bill to match the Senate version.
The New Jersey Senate today passed a bill allowing state residents who were brought to the United States illegally as children to pay in-state tuition rates for college.
The vote was 25-12.
The bill, S2479, permits this group of residents, who are not citizens, to attend state colleges and universities at the cheaper in-state rate. The Assembly passed a similar bill but its version does not include the Senate-approved provision allowing undocumented students to receive financial aid.
Incoming Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto has indicated the Assembly would amend its bill.
Gov. Chris Christie — who won 51 percent of the Hispanic vote in his Nov. 5 re-election, according to exit polls — has expressed general support for the idea of in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, but has offered little in the way of details.
Sixteen states already offer in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The vote was mostly along party lines.
“This, to me, is about fairness and equity. It’s about accessibility,” said state Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, the prime sponsor. “And most importantly, it’s about engaging in a conversation, that when we talk about making the Garden State stronger, this has to be one of those variables in the conversation to ensure that.”
State Sen. Robert Singer, R-Ocean, argued: “There are not enough slots in public education right now in our four-year institutions for every student who wishes to go, period. For citizens, whose parents pay taxes in this state, who have lived here their whole lives.”
Fellow Republican Sen. Michael Doherty also voted "no." He said afterward the United States is a country that lives by the law and lawmakers have a responsibility to uphold it. They can’t allow people to benefit from breaking it, he said.
“Although the individuals who are looking for this benefit in many cases didn’t do anything wrong, their parents did,” said Doherty, whose 23rd District covers parts of Warren and Hunterdon counties. “They entered the country and they didn’t follow the law to do that. I don’t think we can extend a benefit to those activities.”
Military veterans and other college students might not get the benefit of in-state tuition that some of the children of undocumented immigrants would under the bill, Doherty added. Some stories stimulate empathy and Democrats have done a good job at “plucking at the heart strings,” Doherty said.
Reporter Sarah Peters, The Star-Ledger and The Associated Press contributed to this report.