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Topeka — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed a bill Thursday granting some illegal immigrants a tuition break at state universities and colleges.

The new law, which takes effect on July 1, will extend in-state tuition, which is lower than tuition for nonresidents, to illegal immigrants who have attended a Kansas high school at least three years and graduated or earned a general educational development certificate in Kansas.

Sebelius had promised to sign the measure when it passed the Legislature earlier this month.

"Many students were on the edge of their seats, wondering, 'Can I go to school this fall?"' Elias Garcia, executive director of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission. "The answer is resoundingly yes."

To receive the cheaper tuition, immigrants would have to be actively seeking legal immigration status or plan to do so when they were eligible. Immigrants must file an affidavit to that effect with the institution they attend.

Supporters like Garcia and Sebelius argue that many immigrants affected by the law have lived and attended school in Kansas for years and consider themselves residents.

Garcia and other supporters of the new law also contend helping such immigrants attend universities, community colleges or technical colleges will improve the state's economy by creating more skilled workers.

"Gov. Sebelius has supported this bill over the past two years and has been outspoken about her belief that the doors of our colleges and universities be open to all our high school graduates," spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said in a statement.

"She has said on numerous occasions, providing more skills and education to young people in Kansas gets more workers into the work force and boosts our economy," Corcoran added.

Critics argued the legislation would reward individuals and families who had violated federal law. They also said it would be unfair to grant a tuition break to illegal immigrants but not to families who may have lived outside the state, near the border and sent their children for years to Kansas public schools.

Kansas residents pay substantially less than students from outside the state at public universities. In the current semester, for example, in-state tuition for 15 credit hours at the University of Kansas is $1,763, compared with $5,501 for undergraduates from outside Kansas.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Melvin Neufeld said Thursday that the tuition break represents a subsidy for illegal immigrants and will increase the state's overall costs -- perhaps forcing a general increase in university and college tuition for all students.

"Why should my grandkids have to pay more tuition so that Juan -- Juan from Mexico City -- can have his grandkids pay less tuition?" said Neufeld, R-Ingalls.