Connecticut Legislature Approves Bill to Charge Undocumented Students In-State Tuition

Connecticut will become the 13th state to charge undocumented students in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Their senate passed a bill yesterday to that effect, which the governor has said he will sign, in stark contrast to Arizona education policies. Proposition 300, a 2006 law mandating that anyone...

By Gregory Pratt

May 25, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

Connecticut will become the 13th state to charge undocumented students in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.

Their senate passed a bill yesterday to that effect, which the governor has said he will sign, in stark contrast to Arizona education policies.

Proposition 300, a 2006 law mandating that anyone without legal status must pay out-of-state rates in Sand Land, has been wildly successful at forcing undocumented students to drop out of college.

We've been covering the controversy over Maricopa Community Colleges' recent tuition hike aimed at stamping undocumented students out of community colleges, as well as the Democratic Party's national "push" to pass the DREAM Act.

Several states have responded to Congress' failure to pass the DREAM Act last fall with their own measures allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. Maryland and Connecticut recently succeeded; Colorado's bill failed a few weeks ago.

It isn't only liberal states that allow undocumented students to attend college while paying in-state tuition.

Connecticut joins Maryland, New York, Wisconsin, California and Illinois on the Blue side of the aisle while Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas are Red states providing that opportunity.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.