At least 17 states have laws that make some undocumented immigrant students eligible for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities, a new report and commentary from The Migration Policy Institute has found.
The research and advocacy organization found that states’ “DREAM Acts” can differ significantly in their eligibility requirements for in-state tuition, as do state policies regarding the availability of financial aid and other supports. But the bottom-line aim for most of those measures is to lower the barrier to higher education for undocumented students.
A chart included with the report documents the policies related to college enrollment, in-state tuition, financial aid, and other supports for the top 15 states of residence for youth eligible for the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. That Obama administration initiative grants eligible undocumented youths who were brought to the United States as children temporary relief from deportation and a shot at work authorization.
