By Raymond AlQaisi, Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy
Reading time: Three minutes
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently proposed legislation that would deny students who are undocumented of
the ability to pay in-state tuition at public colleges. This policy has been in place since 2014 and was enacted with support from Republican lawmakers. The governor’s proposal is part of a broader package aimed at attacking people who are undocumented. It includes such punitive measures as prohibiting local governments from issuing identification cards.
Currently, 23 states and Washington, DC allow students who are undocumented to pay in-state tuition— and 17 states (and DC) provide access to state financial aid. At the state level, the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) supports an in-state tuition policy for undocumented students and providing need-based aid for students who are otherwise income-eligible. These policies promote equity in higher education and provide students with the opportunity
for college access and affordability.
The policy in Florida has provided thousands of students with the opportunity to afford and attend college, pursue meaningful careers, and add economic value to communities and the state. As the table below demonstrates, there are over 40,000 undocumented students enrolled in higher education institutes in the state, and 5,000 graduate from high school each year. Pursuing a repeal of this law presents serious concerns for the
college access and success community and our work to promote educational equity. Also, business leaders have expressed concern about the impact this proposal would have on employers in the state.
Students impacted by DeSantis' proposal
Number
Undocumented students in higher education
40,152
DACA-eligible students in higher education
12,161
Non DACA-eligible students in higher education
27,991
Undocumented students graduating high school each year
5,000
Gaby Pacheco, TheDream.US’ Director of Advocacy, Communications, and Development, released the following statement in response. TheDream.US is the nation’s largest college access and success program for immigrant youth—and an NCAN member.
“Stripping in-state tuition from Dreamers would be both cruel and counterproductive to Florida. Since 2014, Florida’s out-of-state tuition waiver has allowed long-time residents who have grown up in our backyard and graduated from Florida K-12 high schools to afford college and pursue a meaningful career. These Dreamers, on average, have called Florida their home since the age of four. Thanks to in-state tuition and other opportunities for Dreamers, TheDream.US graduates and other Florida Dreamers are putting their college degrees to work as nurses, teachers, computer scientists, research scientists, entrepreneurs, and Fortune 500 employees. In the process, all are contributing to the social and economic prosperity of this state and country. Making a college education harder to afford or achieve would not just harm these Florida young people, but our state as a whole. We urge Florida lawmakers to oppose this proposal and to instead stand up for Florida’s Dreamers and our state’s future competitiveness.”
Florida’s State House of Representatives and State Senate are majority controlled by Republicans—making the political situation favorable for the governor to advance this proposal. It is also alarming to see actors in other states highlighting Governor DeSantis’ proposal, as a model that they can pursue in their state. NCAN is committing to working with our members and partners to advocate for, and defend, equitable policies that benefit students—please
reach out to us, if we can be helpful to your efforts. NCAN members and students can find advocacy resources via TheDream.US and the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration—and relevant data resources via the Higher Ed Immigration Portal and American Immigration Council. Student advocates in Florida should see if their institution has an on-campus organization that supports undocumented students.
In NCAN’s mission to build, strengthen, and empower communities and stakeholders to close equity gaps in postsecondary attainment—we believe all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or immigration status, deserve the opportunity to pursue higher education.
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