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Professors release study on economic impacts of Maryland Dream Act

Posted on October 12, 2012 12:24 PM |Permalink

Two UMBC professors have released the results of a cost-benefit analysis of the Maryland Dream Act, which is subject to a referendum vote in the November 6 election. The Dream Act would allow undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public universities in Maryland if they meet certain conditions. The estimates from a cost-benefit analysis prepared by Dr. Marvin Mandell (Public Policy) and Dr. T. H. Gindling (Economics) suggest that the net economic effect of the Maryland Dream Act will be positive, and the benefits will be substantial. The estimated total net economic benefits of each annual cohort of students who take advantage of the Dream Act are approximately $66 million in 2011 dollars. That estimate includes increased lifetime earning for students, as well as higher income and property tax payments to federal, state and local governments, and public savings from lower rates of incarceration.

The study, "Private and Government Fiscal Costs of the Maryland Dream Act," has received extensive press coverage, and was the basis for editorials in the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun. A summary of the press coverage can be found here.