Rhode Island lawmakers are considering a law that would let cities and towns in the state tax private universities $300 per enrolled out-of-state student. The proposal from Providence Mayor, David Cicillene is opposed by both graduate and undergraduate students at Brown University who are lobbying against the bill.

The bill does not specify whether the fee is to be raised from students directly or paid for by the institution through other means. The bill would affect at least eight institutions, including Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, both in Providence.

"The student impact fee is calculated to offset the costs of providing police, fire, rescue and other municipal services to students, according to the text of the bill," writes George Miller in The Daily Herald.

Brown's Graduate Student Council sent a letter to the Providence Journal and local politicians who seek to defeat the bill. The letter received only one response, from Senate Majority Leader Daniel Connors, D-Dist. 19, who explained that he thinks the bill is a financial necessity.

Brown University administrators have also been vocal against the bill. President Ruth Simmons wrote emails to community members in June urging them to voice their opinions.

It is unclear how likely the bill is to pass. The bill has been voted out of committee in the House but not the Senate, and will compete for floor time against many other bills when both houses return from recess in January. The student tax bill is joined by another bill that would partially eliminate property tax exemptions for large non-profits.

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