GOP Zeal to Disenfranchise Students Could Cost State

Is the GOP zeal to disenfranchise New Hampshire students about to cost the state millions of dollars in out-of-state tuition — and result in a large tuition increase for in-state students? Norma Love has the details.

Legislation that would require residency for people who register to vote in New Hampshire could affect millions of dollars in nonresident tuition that students pay to the state’s public colleges.

[Current] law says that claiming domicile for voting purposes does not establish the person’s voting address as his legal residence for other purposes. [House Election Law Chairman David Bates] would make the voting address the legal residence and that is what could affect students’ status and therefore their tuition rates….

As in other states, New Hampshire’s public colleges rely on out-of-state tuition to subsidize in-state tuition. If a large number of nonresident students voted in New Hampshire and were deemed residents, they would begin paying in-state rates, and that loss of revenue could lead to increases in the rates charged in-state students.