As a Dover city councilor, long time Granite Stater, and proud graduate of the University of New Hampshire—along with my wife and both of our children—I’ve always believed in the power of public education to change lives and strengthen communities. That’s why I was deeply concerned by recent comments made by State Representative Joe Sweeney regarding admissions at UNH.

Rep. Sweeney has claimed that New Hampshire students are being denied admission to make room for international and DACA students. Let’s be clear: that claim is misleading and harmful. It shifts attention away from the real and persistent issue undermining educational opportunity in our state—New Hampshire’s chronic underfunding of public education at all levels.

The numbers don’t lie. UNH’s international student population is relatively small, and most of these students pay full tuition. That revenue helps fund financial aid for local students. As for DACA recipients, they make up a tiny fraction of applicants, and university officials have confirmed that they do not displace New Hampshire students. UNH officials stated that the university accepts more than 85% of New Hampshire students who apply, and students are denied admission if they are not academically prepared. They emphasized that UNH does not admit international students at the expense of New Hampshire students. WMUR+1WMUR+1

Instead of pointing fingers at small groups of students who bring valuable perspectives and resources to our campuses, Rep. Sweeney should be focused on the real barrier to access: affordability. New Hampshire ranks near the bottom nationally in state funding for higher education. If we want more New Hampshire students to attend college here, we need to invest in making that possible.

We also need better oversight of how public education dollars are spent—especially in programs like the Education Freedom Accounts, which currently operate with minimal transparency. Dover families, and taxpayers across the state, deserve to know that their money is being used responsibly and equitably to support public schools.

Let’s not forget: UNH is one of the most expensive public universities in the country for in-state students, with tuition and fees alone topping $20,000 a year. That’s the real obstacle. Not international students. Not DACA students. The real issue is structural underinvestment in our public education system.

This moment demands leadership rooted in facts, committed to progress, and focused on solutions. Dover students—and students across New Hampshire—deserve better than political scapegoating. They deserve real answers, real accountability, and real investment in their future.