Utah Republicans Move Ahead with Plan Providing In-State Tuition to Refugees

Republican legislators in Utah are moving ahead with a plan that will provide in-state tuition to refugees resettled across the state as well as those who have won parole from President Joe Biden’s administration or given Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Utah’s GOP-majority House Education Committee has unanimously approved the plan, giving in-state tuition to refugees, parolees, TPS recipients, and asylees. Rep. Jordan Teuscher (R) is sponsoring the legislation.

Under the plan, the state’s colleges and universities would be required to classify refugees, parolees, TPS recipients, and asylees as residents of Utah eligible for in-state tuition. Those seeking in-state tuition as part of the provision would need to provide proof of residency like a driver’s license or voter registration card.

While Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using an expansive parole pipeline to resettle tens of thousands of border crossers across American communities every month, the proof of residency requirements may prevent those new arrivals from getting in-state tuition.

In 2002, Utah legislators opened in-state tuition to illegal aliens who have graduated from high schools in the state. Nonetheless, in-state tuition in Utah is pricey for working and middle class households, with average costs ranging from $18,000 to $25,000.

Since Fiscal Year 2019, nearly 1,300 refugees have been resettled across Utah.

Over the last 20 years, nearly one million refugees have been resettled in the country. This is more than double the number of residents living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is the equivalent of annually adding the population of Pensacola, Florida, to the country.

Refugee resettlement costs American taxpayers nearly $9 billion every five years, according to research, and each refugee costs taxpayers about $133,000 over the course of their lifetime. Within five years, an estimated 16 percent of all refugees admitted will need housing assistance paid for by taxpayers.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.