The US state of New Jersey will enact a legislation that will make college and universities more affordable for the children of H-1B visa holders, mostly Indian IT professionals, bringing a huge financial relief to them.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Tuesday signed the legislation ‘S2555’, allowing New Jersey students, who are the children of H-1B visa holders, to qualify for in-state tuition at public institutions of higher education.
A majority of H-1B visa holders are Indians and this legislation comes as a significant relief to them, amidst an environment of stringent immigration laws and scrutiny under the Trump administration.
“New Jerseyans deserve equal access to higher education, and today we are taking another step towards making that possible. I’m proud to sign the legislation to help our students achieve their education goals, pursue a successful future and live their dreams here in their home state,” Murphy said.
The legislation exempts dependent students’ whose parents or guardians hold H-1B visas from paying out-of-state tuition provided they meet certain criteria, including having graduated from a New Jersey high school and having attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years.
New Jersey is home to prestigious institutions such as Princeton University.
Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis said New Jersey is working to make college affordable for New Jerseyans and the legislation will expand postsecondary opportunities to more residents such as dependents of H-1B visa holders.
India’s Deputy Consul General in New York Shatru Sinha welcomed the legislation, saying in a tweet that it is an “important initiative for the Indian community”.
Primary sponsors of the legislation include Indian-American Democratic Senator Vin Gopal, Senator M Teresa Ruiz and Assembly members Raj Mukherji, Daniel Benson, and Robert Karabinchak.
President and CEO of Edison-based health technology company HealthEC Arthur Kapoor welcomed the legislation, saying it will tremendously benefit the Indian diaspora in New Jersey.
“Indian diaspora welcomes this bill since H-1B visa holders pay enormous amounts of taxes as well as social security contributions which they are never able to use as they return to India before they are eligible to receive benefits. This bill will allow their kids access to the best education,” Kapoor said.
Indians have among the longest wait times for Green Cards. While school education from kindergarten to grade 12 is free in American public schools, non-citizens and immigrant children have to pay exorbitant fees to study in colleges and universities, adding years-long student debts to their finances.
Gopal said when someone comes to New Jersey on an H-1B visa, they’re bringing their own unique expertise, intellect and insight to the challenges and opportunities the state faces.
“But when we deny their children the opportunity to access an affordable college education right here at home, we’re shutting the door on a whole new generation of brilliance and talent.
“When we make higher education more affordable to these kids, we’re supporting their academic pursuits while encouraging them to cultivate and apply their skills right here in the Garden State,” referring to the nickname by which New Jersey is known.