The Activism of Undocumented Youth to Increase Access to Postsecondary Education in Tennessee

• In Event: 60.083 - Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: 60.083-8 - Youth-Led Efforts for Educational Equity

Abstract

As of July 2014, only 18 states throughout the country offered in-state tuition to undocumented persons. Undocumented youth in the remaining states are required to pay out-of-state tuition. In the case of Tennessee, out-of-state tuition at public universities is approximately three times higher than in-state tuition. As such, undocumented youth in Tennessee have been advocating for access to in-state tuition rates at public universities. This paper focuses on the individual and collective efforts of a group of undocumented activists in Tennessee to increase undocumented persons’ access to post-secondary education. We argue that through such efforts, undocumented youth are transforming the educational landscape of Tennessee, effectively laying the groundwork for tuition equality to become a plausible reality within the state.

Authors

• Krista Craven, Guilford College

• Rodrigo Robles, Fisk University

• Diana Montero, Fisk University

• Brenda Hernandez, Fisk University

• Jazmin Ramirez, Trevecca Nazarene University

• Maria Robles, McGavock High School