Campaign Action
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients currently living and studying in Arizona community colleges and public universities will see their tuition double, some even triple, following a decision from the Arizona Supreme Court, which ruled they’ll no longer be eligible for in-state tuition rates at the state’s public colleges.” According to NBC News, “the in-state rate for undergraduate students at Arizona State University is $10,640—compared to $26,470 for non-resident students.” With DACA recipients already enrolling in summer and fall courses, as many as 2,000 Dreamers could be affected within the next year:
A full opinion explaining the details of the court's ruling will be released May 14th. In the meantime, the court announced the ruling before then to allow students in the Maricopa Community Colleges system and other state universities to have as much time as possible to plan for those affected by the decision
As of 2017, “many states with higher immigrant populations, upwards of 21 ... provide in-state tuition for undocumented students, either at the state or institutional level.” Some Arizona Dreamers qualified for lower rates, but the court’s ruling could now “put education out of reach for most students,” DACA recipient Edder Diaz Martinez said. “Many will simply drop out from this disappointing decision.” Adding to the uncertainty is the Trump administration challenging the court decision that resurrected portions of DACA. What Dreamers need is permanent legislation, like the bipartisan DREAM Act:
Petra Falcon, executive director of Promise Arizona, said in a statement that the ruling “basically declares that the future of thousands of Arizona Dreamers simply doesn’t matter.”
“In addition to its cruelty, the ruling makes no sense given that DACA recipients can legally drive and work in Arizona,” Falcon said. “In other words, it’s okay for them and their families to pay state taxes but they can’t receive in-state tuition to attend college?”
“The Arizona Supreme Court decision issued today will slam the door on thousands of Arizona students who want nothing more than to pursue an education,” said Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ). “These Dreamers grew up attending Arizona schools, and want to pursue careers that will give back to Arizona’s communities and boost our economy. But thanks to today’s decision, they will now have to pay triple what their classmates pay in order to achieve those goals—meaning many may not have the ability to attend college at all.” Arizona State University President Michael Crow: “The university is currently looking into all options to assist Arizona high school graduates who are qualified to be in the U.S. under DACA with an uninterrupted educational journey beyond high school.”
