Maryland Senate Backs Tuition Benefit for Undocumented Students

After intense debate and a close vote, one half of Maryland's legislature on Monday approved legislation that would let undocumented students attend public colleges and universities at in-state tuition rates, The Washington Post reported. The measure is a compromise version of the original legislation, the newspaper reported; it would let Maryland residents who are in the country illegally pay in-state tuition only at community colleges originally, and do so upon transfer to public universities only after earning an associate degree. Republicans said the measure sent the wrong message about lawbreaking and vowed to oppose its passage in the state House of Delegates.