A forthcoming proposal in the Indiana General Assembly would allow undocumented students who graduate from Indiana high schools to pay in-state tuition at some colleges and universities.
According to an Indiana Democratic Party press release, the proposal will help students who have been students in the Indiana system for many years to further their education.
“It was difficult to see my friends make their college choice and to know I didn’t have options,” said Beatriz Preciado, a representative of the Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance, in a press release. “In-state tuition would help me finish my physics and mechanical engineering major and be able to contribute to Indiana’s economy because Indiana has been home for 15 years.”
The proposed program would allow students who have attended a high school in Indiana for at least three years and graduated or received a GED to enroll in state educational institutions at the resident tuition rate, according to the press release.
The proposal, to be written by Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, is one of several initiatives released by Senate Democrats. The initiatives address Latino’s access to education and healthcare, as well as public safety, according to their press release.
The proposals come from a group of Latino community leaders formed by Senate Democrats in 2013.
The population of undocumented immigrants in Indiana is decreasing, according to Pew Research Center, and unauthorized immigrants made up 1.3 percent of the state’s population, or 85,000 people, according to a 2012 Pew Hispanic Center report.
Cora Henry
