Fox's Tucker Carlson Talks Down To Hispanic Attorney About College Tuition For Mexican Students

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• published: 01 Jul 2016
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TUCKER CARLSON (CO-HOST): A university in New Mexico facing dwindling enrollment is turning south of the border for answers. New Mexico State University is now offering Mexican students, from Mexico, Mexican citizens, a massive discount, less than half of what out-of-state students are charged. Is this fair? Joining us now, immigration attorney and activist Francisco Hernandez. […] If I want to send one of my four kids to this state university, I will pay twice the amount a Mexican citizen would pay. This is a university that is subsidized by American taxpayers. Why is that fair? FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ: Well it's not that it's unfair. It's just it's not subsidized. You talk about out-of-state tuition. You know what? Airlines do it all the time with the first class seats. Whenever they're going to fly empty, they'll settle them for half price. A little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing. And if you have empty school seats, if the college doesn't have high enrollment, then what's the downside? It's free money for the university. CARLSON: Well the downside -- of course it's not free money for the university. The university is subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of about $60,000 per degree, exclusive of loans, per degree, granted. So that exists no matter who's in a room. HERNANDEZ: Except for out-of-state tuition. CARLSON: But why not offer the same discount to my children? I mean, I'm paying in part for that $60,000 subsidy. Why would you give preference to people who aren’t even from this country? HERNANDEZ: Oh there's nothing wrong with that. If somebody wants to go there and they have to fill the seats, yeah sure. Cut the price, gets the seats filled. That's the first class concept of airlines. CARLSON: But that's not what's happening. HERNANDEZ: If you don't like it, well you don't have to go to that university. Obviously, it’s not Harvard. CARLSON: But I do have to pay for the university as a U.S. taxpayer and I am paying for it and so are you. But my question is if an airline said we're only giving discounted seats to people from Mexico and if it was American Airlines, presumably there would be some kind of outcry, especially if the airline was subsidized by taxpayers. Do you see the point? It's a simple point. HERNANDEZ: Not if they fill the seats in Mexico to come up to the United States. It's not unfair and it's out-of-state tuition. It is not subsidizing, it's actually the out-of-state tuition pays more than its' share. It’s usually a hugely disproportionate share. So what's the downside? If you don't like it, don't go there.