A bill aimed at barring some immigrant students from getting state aid for higher education funding will be heard in a House committee today.

Representative Scott Fitzpatrick (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Representative Scott Fitzpatrick (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Representative Scott Fitzpatrick (R-Shell Knob) says the Department of Higher Education is attempting through a rule change to extend free tuition to some immigrant students who, through action by the Obama Administration in 2012, were once considered to be in the country illegally but no longer face deportation.

Fitzpatrick says there are some Missouri citizens who risk not getting help to get into college.

“I think it’s a bad policy to give a better tuition rate to illegal immigrants than to give to United State citizens and in some cases Missouri citizens,” Fitzpatrick told Missourinet.

Fitzpatrick has proposed a bill that would bar anyone without legal status from getting state higher education aid.

“My feeling is if they’re here illegally they shouldn’t be getting public money to go to college. I think that’s kind of contrary to what we need to be doing to try and prevent people from coming here the wrong way,” said Fitzpatrick.

Testimony for and against Fitzpatrick’s proposal will be heard today.

The legislation is HB 187.