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Undocumented students are one step closer to getting in-state tuition in Mass.
A compromise budget headed to Gov. Maura Healey allows undocumented high school students to qualify for in-state tuition and financial aid.
On Sunday night, state lawmakers reached a compromise, agreeing on a $56.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2024. Included in the budget’s many notable aspects is funding for a program that will allow undocumented high school students to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public colleges or universities.
Both the House and Senate were set to vote on the budget Monday during formal sessions. It is expected to win approval by both bodies, State House News Service reported. Gov. Maura Healey will then have 10 days to review it.
“This budget represents a major step forward for our Commonwealth, particularly in making higher education more affordable and more accessible to everyone — which is crucial to securing our long-term competitiveness, providing residents with concrete ways to create the futures they dream of, and continuing our state’s commitment to education at every level,” Senate President Karen Spilka said in a statement.
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That commitment includes the Senate measure that enables students without legal immigration status to qualify for in-state tuition rates and financial aid. This will apply to students that have attended a high school in Massachusetts for at least three years or obtained their GED in the state, SHNS reported.
Leaders in the Senate included the measure in a budget proposal back in May. Healey praised the idea, telling reporters that many of the state’s undocumented residents “have been here their entire lives, have gone through K-to-12, but then find themselves without an opportunity to afford continuing on in college,” WBUR reported at the time. Healey also said that it would be beneficial to the state because it would get more people into the “workforce pipeline.”
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At least 23 states and Washington, D.C. have “tuition equity” laws like this in place that let students apply for in-state tuition, regardless of immigration status, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
Students that the new policy would apply to could save tens of thousands of dollars, as in-state tuition costs are much cheaper than out-of-state prices. At UMass Amherst, for example, in-state tuition is $17,357, compared to an out-of-state price tag of $39,293 per semester.
The proposal was defended by lawmakers like Worcester-area Sen. Joanne Comerford when it was being debated in May.
“They are part of our lives, they are us,” Comerford said, according to The Boston Herald. “Beyond the economic case, which is strong, don’t we have an obligation to everyone in our districts to create a commonwealth where every single person feels welcome?”
The budget included other major developments for students and their families. A total of $50 million was allocated to offer free community college starting next fall, with students over the age of 25 and those pursuing nursing degrees getting access to free community college this fall.
Lawmakers are proposing $6.59 billion in K-12 public education funding, up $604 million from last year. Funding was also secured for permanent free school meals, a House priority, The Boston Globe reported.
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