And they can apply for it just like that and more importantly: if they apply for it, are they guaranteed to receive the benefits?

do you not have google?

You want people to discuss/ read about your topic here and then you ask them to use google...

Also: I was really interested in this tuition benefits thing, because in Germany we also have an ongoing debate about tuition fees.

Thanks for being an ass das.

If you meet residency requirements you are eligible for instate tuition at most public universities and colleges.

so they try to keep ppl in their home states? why?

they don't try to keep people in their home states- they give benefits to people who pay taxes to that state.

You have to do some paperwork to prove residency, but if you can prove residency in a state you are guaranteed in-state tuition rates.

also: Sam raises an important point: in state tuition vs. out of state only applies to public universities. Private schools charge the same tuition no matter where you're from, and some of the best universities are private (the entire Ivy league, Chicago, Columbia, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, etc).

you are welcome for my being an ass. i forget that you are german and might not understand the difference b/w public/private university as it is here in the US. Like the others have said, tuition at public institutions for in-state residents is typically much lower than those that come from out of state. if you had read the link i gave in regards to what just happened in Maryland, you would learn that now illegal aliens are being granted the same benefits for in-state tuition that taxpaying residents are afforded.

so the answer to your question (that was available on the link i posted) is, yes an illegal alien that resides in Maryland will be able to attend a USM institution at the resident rate.

additionally, in order to make this somewhat affordable (for a state teetering in the red) was to wipe away scholarship programs for legal in-state residents