The Fight for Tuition Equity in Georgia

 
Graduates celebrate
 

Introduction

Implemented in October of 2011, the Board of Regents policy 4.1.6 bans undocumented students from Georgia’s top institutions of higher education. Three House Bills were introduced the 2020 Legislative Session that would allow undocumented students and other immigrant students to receive in-state tuition at certain public colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia:

HB 8961:

  1. Attended a high school located Georgia for three or more years;
  2. Obtained a state-accredited high school diploma or GED diploma; and
  3. On or after July 1, 2021, registered as an entering student at, or are currently enrolled at, an accredited institution of higher education in Georgia.

HB 997:

  1. Graduated from a Georgia high school or obtained a Georgia general educational development (GED) diploma
  2. Established and maintained domicile in the State of Georgia for four years immediately preceding the first day of classes for the term;
  3. Has been physically present in the United States since on or before his or her twelfth birthday; and
  4. Has not reached the age of 30 years at the time of enrollment application.

HB 920:

  1. Attended a secondary school in this state for three consecutive years immediately before graduating from a high school in this state;
  2. Applied for enrollment in a postsecondary educational institution in this state within 24 months after high school graduation; and
  3. Submitted to the postsecondary educational institution an official transcript verifying such student's attendance record and graduation from a high school in this state.

We support HB 896 as it would allow undocumented students to receive in-state classification for tuition purposes. Among the three bills, it is the one that provides the least barriers to undocumented students in their ability to qualify for in-state tuition rates.

Undocumented students in Georgia

According to a Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from the pooled 2012-16 American Community Survey (ACS) and the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), there is an estimated 351,000 total undocumented population in the state of Georgia.2

Family Income

  • 12% Below 50% of the poverty level
  • 18% 50-99% of the poverty level
  • 19% 100-149% of the poverty level
  • 16% 150-199% of the poverty level
  • 35% At or above 200% of the poverty level

Populations ages 18-24 make up about 44,000 people:

  • 32% enrolled in school
  • 68% not enrolled in school

Population ages 25 and older are estimated at 273,000 people:

  • 11% have achieved some college or associate’s degree
  • 12% have attained a Bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree

Equity in access to education

DACA participants in Georgia pay more than $61 million in state and local taxes. These taxes go to support essential services in Georgia.3 Having access to affordable higher education will enable undocumented students including DACA recipients to further their educational pursuits. Additionally, access to in-state tuition will incentivize students to remain in Georgia and contribute to its economy.4

Tuition equity bills in other states

Oregon’s Tuition Equity Law HB 2787 exempts undocumented students from non-resident tuitions and fees who:5

  1. Have studied in the United States for five years prior to graduating High School
  2. Attended an Oregon high school for at least three years immediately preceding graduation or equivalent;
  3. Graduated from an Oregon high school (or received an equivalent certification); and
  4. Show an intention to become a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.

Virginia’s SB 935 higher educational institutions, public; eligibility for in-state tuition requires:6

  1. Attended high school for at least two years in the Commonwealth
    1. graduated on or after July 1, 2008, from a public or private high school or program of home instruction in the Commonwealth
    2. passed, on or after July 1, 2008, a high school equivalency examination approved by the Secretary of Education
  2. Submitted evidence that he or, in the case of a dependent student, at least one parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis has filed, unless exempted by state law, Virginia income tax returns for at least two years prior to the date of registration or enrollment
  3. Registers as an entering student or is enrolled in a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth.

1 Pursuant to University System of Georgia Board of Regents Policy 4.1.6, “Admission of Persons Not Lawfully Present in the United States,” undocumented students are not allowed to attend the top three public universities in the state: the University of Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Georgia College & State University.
2 https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/GA
3 Hill, M.E., & Wiehe, M. (April 2018). State and local tax contributions of young undocumented immigrants. Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
4 https://gbpi.org/2019/offering-in-state-tuition-to-dreamers-creates-opportunity-for-georgia/
5 https://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2013/HB2787/
6 https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+SB935&201+sum+SB935

AAAF Staff