U.S. student wrongly denied N.J. tuition grant because of mom's immigration status, court says
Published: Wednesday, August 08, 2012, 8:06 PM Updated: Wednesday, August 08, 2012, 8:08 PM
Two Democratic state senators, Teresa Ruiz, right, of Essex County, who is chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, and Sandra Cunningham of Hudson County, chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said the ruling reflected the Legislature’s intent to provide equal access to education.An American-born student waswrongly denied financial assistance for tuition at a state college because her parents are not United States citizens, an appellate court panel ruled today.
The decision clarifies the regulations regarding tuition that the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey said the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, a state agency, had intentionally misinterpreted for years, depriving thousands of students of much-needed aid.
The three appellate judges found that after years of adhering to laws governing tuition aid grants, the state authority in 2005 inappropriately began linking students’ residency to their parents’ immigration status.
"In 2005, the agency reversed course without any substantive explanation — instead, inaccurately