Dive Brief:
- Connecticut senators are trying again to provide financial aid to undocumented students who do not qualify for federal aid — and this time, it looks like a bill approved by the Senate will also pass through the House.
- The CT Mirror reports the bill made it through the Senate along mostly party lines, and Republicans who oppose allowing undocumented students to compete with their peers for a piece of the $140 million pool of aid say it will increase the cost of college for documented residents.
- Public colleges in Connecticut set aside about 15% of tuition revenue from all students, including undocumented ones, to offer need-based financial aid, and allowing undocumented students to receive the aid will necessarily increase the pool of eligible students without increasing the pot of money.
Dive Insight:
Undocumented students are not eligible for federal financial aid, but a handful of states and many more colleges have opened up pools of money to these students to make college an option. California, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington have all opened up state financial aid to undocumented students.
According to the National Council of State Legislatures, at least 18 states have changed their laws to allow undocumented residents to qualify for in-state tuition. On the other side, Arizona, Georgia, and Indiana have passed specific provisions prohibiting students from receiving in-state tuition rates. And Alabama and South Carolina prohibit public schools from enrolling undocumented students altogether.
While this bill may become law in Connecticut, undocumented students, many of whom were brought to this country by their parents without a say in the matter, are far from guaranteed access to affordable higher education.