Minnesota is now sending illegal immigrants to college for free at the expense of American taxpayer money.
The state’s “North Star Promise” program is offering free college tuition to all residents whose families earn less than $80,000 annually, regardless of their immigration status.
The program’s eligibility requirements, however, are causing disagreement among Minnesotans. In order to qualify, students need to graduate from a state high school, reside in the state for at least 12 months without being enrolled in college more than half-time, and maintain good academic standing.
The “North Star Promise” program aims to provide financial assistance to these students beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year. The scholarships will cover the full cost of tuition and fees after subtracting grants and other scholarships.
The program also specifies that public postsecondary educational institutions cannot decrease the institutional gift aid provided to an eligible student.
Similarly, Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced his plans to enroll illegal immigrants in college. Adams is seeking to provide as many as 100 migrants with 12 months of classes, room, and board in upstate Sullivan County.
The Center for Exploration, a special education school in adjacent Harris, and SUNY Sullivan Community College in small Loch Sheldrake are both participants in the pilot program, which will be spearheaded by Adams’ newly established local agency, the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations.
“The mayor’s office is giving us money for things like supplies for people to live on, and the dorms and food,” said spokesman Michael Rosen of The Center for Discovery.
The cost to taxpayers has not been disclosed, but given the price for just two semesters at SUNY Sullivan, it will most likely exceed $1.2 million in the first year.
As expected, both initiatives are facing pushback from residents and lawmakers, with many noting the negligence of locals in favor of illegal immigrants.
Since the Biden administration lifted “Title 42” last month, the number of illegal border crossers has increased to an all-time high. According to the Department of Homeland Security, nearly 2.4 million migrants were detained at the border for the fiscal year ending in September, surpassing the already-historic number of 1.7 million migrant detainees in 2021.
