RUSH: The liberal governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, the son of Mario the Pious, is offering a pious new program. He’s giving “free” tuition to state university students. Of course, it’s not free. Taxpayers are paying for it, as always.

There’s a hitch though. The students must be New York residents for at least a year prior to enrolling. Plus, for every year students take the money, they must stay a year in New York after graduating. If they don’t, the free money will be converted to loans, which they will have to pay back. Cuomo says this will ensure that out-of-state freeloaders don’t take advantage of all the goodies.

The residency requirements are upsetting some students and their advocates. What if they can’t find jobs in New York when they finish school? They complain it will handcuff them from taking good out-of-state jobs. They don’t think it’s fair to be asked to pay back the money even though they’re working hard and can presumably afford it. It’s not right they should have to pay it back.

But a bigger issue is staring these liberals right in the face. Isn’t it discriminatory, and maybe even xenophobic, to demand people prove they’re legal residents? What about those living in the shadows? What about the illegal residents of New York? How will they get their freebies?

And how can it be that students need ID to get free college money while liberals argue they don’t need ID to vote? Hmmm? Anybody want to try answering these questions?