The Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado’s second largest university, began offering reduced tuition to young illegal immigrants who were brought into the United States as children on Monday.

The school changed its policy in June to lower its tuition for illegal immigrants from $7,992 per semester to $3,358 per semester.

The tuition rate remains slightly higher than the $2,152 legal immigrants and others who qualify for in-state tuition pay.

An illegal immigrant must have completed a G.E.D. or have graduated from a Colorado high school to qualify.

According to the New York Times, over 100 have qualified for the reduced tuition thus far.

Colorado’s Attorney General John Suthers issued an opinion in June that the school’s decision was illegal.

Former Colorado GOP Rep. Tom Tancredo displayed a similar opinion when interviewed by a Denver television station.

“I believe it’s an illegal act, and I believe it’s another thing we are doing to reward people who came here illegally,” Tancredo said.

The former congressman contends that Metro State’s board overstepped its bounds, noting that it should have been passed through the legislative process rather than by the school acting unilaterally.

But the school defends its actions, saying that it was the right thing to do.