Symbolic Politics of the State: The Case of In-State Tuition Policies for Undocumented Students

• In Event: 281 - Section on International Migration Paper Session. Hard Times for Immigrants in America

Abstract

Education is often promoted as “the great equalizer” and a prominent means of economic mobility in the United States. Though undocumented immigrants have access to K-12 public education in the U.S., opportunities to attend higher education are more limited. Undocumented college aspirants are unable to access federal grants and loans to help pay for college, and must therefore pay high out-of-state tuition rates without benefit of financial aid. Some states, such as Georgia, explicitly bar undocumented immigrants from establishing in-state residency. Missouri and Virginia have considered even more restrictive legislation that would ban undocumented students from attending public universities, regardless of ability to pay (Olivas 2008). In contrast, 18 states currently allow undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates. In California, New Mexico, and Texas, undocumented students are also eligible for state-based financial aid. In this paper, we investigate the factors that lead states to allow or deny undocumented students eligibility for in-state tuition and other college-related benefits. Using a new database that includes information on proposed and passed state legislation, we go a step farther than past research, and consider how states use the legislative process to maintain or extend political, educational, labor market and citizenship boundaries in the case of in-state tuition policies for undocumented immigrants.

Authors

• Sarah M. Ovink, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Dina G. Okamoto, Indiana University

• Kim Ebert, North Carolina State University