POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Curbing illegal immigration has been a top priority for lawmakers in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill ending in-state tuition for undocumented students.
The decision is sparking reaction on both sides.
What You Need To Know
- Undocumented students will not be eligible for in-state tuition under a new bill recently signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis
- This means DACA recipients like Diego Dulanto would have to pay more to attend college
- Hunter Branstner, with the Polk County Young Republicans, says this means more tools in the pockets of legal students
Going to college was always Diego Dulanto’s dream.
He received his bachelor’s degree in 2022, but as a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient, he said there were challenges.
“It’s extremely stressful,” he said.
Dulanto said he had to pay out of pocket because he didn’t qualify for financial aid. Although he was able to get in-state tuition, he says the cost still added up.
He says now that undocumented students will have to pay out-of-state tuition, it could be a financial barrier.
“This takes away from people’s dreams of wanting to get a higher education and actually contribute to society," Dulanto said. "But now we won’t be able to do that."
He is currently pursuing his master’s degree and mentors other DACA students.
“It’s heartbreaking, you know, they come to me for answers, and I don’t know what to tell them because for most, if not all of them, this was their only option," Dulanto said.
However, Hunter Branstner, who is vice president of the Polk County Young Republicans, said he sees the change as a step in the right direction.
“Overall, it’s a pretty good way to tackle illegal immigration," he said.
He says ultimately this will help students who are in the U.S. legally.
“That’s more money, more tools in the tool belt,” he said.
Supporters of the new policy say the state must remove all incentives that attract illegal immigrants to Florida.
“It’s not an issue of do we have respect for the people," Branstner said. "Of course we have respect for people, they’re humans. But where is the respect and where is the humanity for our own Floridians.”
While undocumented students and their supporters say this decision means Florida is going to lose out on future skilled workers, others say they would like to see additional states look to Florida’s example and work to end in-state tuition for non-citizens as well.
Under the new policy, only “citizens of the United States” or those here legally qualify for in-state tuition.
