Connecticut Poised to Allow Undocumented Immigrants In-State Tuition

University of Connecticut

Undocumented immigrant students may get to attend public colleges and universities in Connecticut with in-state tuition rates. (Photo: copepodo/flickr)

The Connecticut Senate passed a micro version of the DREAM Act on Tuesday, paving the way for undocumented immigrant students in the state to attend public colleges and universities and pay in-state rates of tuition. The Connecticut House previously passed the bill and Gov. Dan Malloy said he would sign it.

“I believe that any child carried over our borders as an infant (who) graduates from one of our high schools should have a future in Connecticut,” said Malloy.

Connecticut will join 12 other states – including New York – that have passed “tuition equity” bills. In Connecticut’s case students will have to prove they attended four years of high school in the state and sign an affidavit promising they will seek citizenship if they become eligible.

“I think this is a compassionate law, trying to give people a leg up,” said Sen. Beth Bye, co-chair of the legislature’s higher education committee. “We can make a difference in the lives of these students.”

Many Republican state legislatures spoke against the bill–and debate lasted almost nine hours. But in the end it was passed by the Democrat controlled General Assembly, to the cheers of undocumented immigrant youth activists in the state.

AboutSarah Kate Kramer
Sarah Kate Kramer first got hooked on collecting stories as a StoryCorps facilitator, then traveled the world with a microphone for a few years before settling down in her hometown of New York City. From 2010-2012 she was the editor of Feet in 2 Worlds and a freelance reporter for WNYC Radio, where she created “Niche Market,” a weekly segment that profiled specialty stores in New York. Sarah is now a producer at Radio Diaries, a non-profit that produces documentaries for NPR and other public radio outlets.