Center for Public Policy Priorities:
In-State Tuition for Non-CitizenResident Texans: What You Need to Know
In-State Tuition for Non-CitizenResident Texans: What You Need to Know – Center for Public Policy Priorities
Fact Sheet on Texas’ In-State Tuition Law
Background
- Texas was the first state to provide an in-state tuition rate to eligible undocumented students, or “DREAMERs.” Known by many as “HB 1403” and signed into law by Governor Rick Perry in 2001, the in-state tuition law provides educational access to all qualified Texas residents, regardless of immigration status.
- To qualify for the in-state tuition rate, undocumented students must have:
- Resided in Texas the year before enrolling at a Texas college or university;
- Resided in Texas during the three years before graduating from high school or obtaining a GED; and
- Signed an affidavit stating that they will apply for legal permanent residency at the earliest opportunity they are eligible to do so.
- Texas’ in-state tuition law does not impact students entering on student visas, does not have any implications on eligibility for university admissions, and does not provide work eligibility.
Read MALDEF’s full In-State Tuition Fact Sheet.