House and Senate Democrats introduced a bill to encourage states to provide in-state tuition as well as needs-based financial aid for undocumented students. The IN-STATE for Dreamers Act would provide $750 million in need-based student financial aid for states that establish in-state tuition or offer financial aid to undocumented high school graduates.
"When a student has put in the hard work and dedication required to get into college in their home state, it is unnconscionable to deny them the chance to contiue their education, based solely on higher costs due to a broken immigration system," said one of the bill's co-sponsors, Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., along with Sen. Patty Murray D-Wash.
"Education paves the surest path to success in America," said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, one of the original co-sponsors of the bill. Castro added this should help increase college access for the almost 100,000 students who have applied for deferred action and encourage other states to expand higher education to other immigrant students.