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Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What to know about Texas ending in-state tuition for undocumented students
Texas will no longer allow students living in the state who are undocumented to pay in-state tuition following demands from the Trump administration to end the policy. Soon after the federal government sued Texas last week over a state law allowing the practice, Texas quickly asked the court to side with the feds and deem the law unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor's ruling did just that and immediately blocked the law. This is what is known so far about the ruling and its implications. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Under the 2001 Texas Dream Act, Texas university and community college applicants who lived in the state three years before graduating from high school (or receiving an equivalent diploma) could seek in-state tuition, even if they were not permanent residents or U.S. citizens. To qualify, those students had to sign an affidavit stating that they would apply to become a permanent U.S. resident as soon as they became eligible. More than 19,500 students in the state signed this affidavit in 2023, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This figure, however, includes not only undocumented students but also students with visas allowing them to legally accompany family members who have been approved to work in the U.S., according to state data. [Undocumented students rethink their college dreams after Texas cuts their access to cheaper tuition] Last week's ruling specifically blocks the Texas law 'as applied to aliens who are not lawfully present in the United States.' Because the Texas Dream Act didn't require tracking a student's immigration status, it is currently unclear how many affidavit signers are undocumented students or how colleges would determine which students no longer qualify for in-state tuition. Students enrolled in summer classes are not yet expected to be affected since tuition bills and financial aid for those courses have already been distributed. The federal ruling blocked the law immediately. The ruling was final, and Texas indicated it will not seek an appeal. A group of undocumented students on Wednesday asked the federal judge in charge of the case to let them intervene in the case, the first step in their ultimate goal to overturn the ruling. If U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor doesn't allow them, they could appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 'The 5th Circuit's obviously a very conservative court, but part of that conservatism is a pretty limited view of the role the courts should play in legislation,' said David Coale, a Dallas appellate lawyer. 'It's a tricky case for them to review.' The organization Immigrant Families and Students in the Fight, which goes by its Spanish acronym FIEL, also said it was considering its options to challenge the ruling. Executive director Cesar Espinosa said last week the group was talking with their lawyers to figure out how to bring a lawsuit. How long a student has been living in Texas is one of the biggest factors in determining a student's tuition, or coursework bill. (Tuition does not account for other college fees and housing and living costs.) Each college sets their own tuition residency criteria, according to the THECB. Community colleges may also offer even lower tuition rates for people who live within their tax district. Students from outside the state or country can, in some cases, pay almost four times more than in-state students. At the University of Texas at Austin, the state's flagship university, the flat-rate tuition for the fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters costs $15,848 more for an out-of-state liberal arts student taking 12 or more credit hours than it would for a student with similar course work paying in-state tuition rates, according to the university. Tuition also costs $18,765 more for an out-of-state student studying business and $17,713 more for engineering. At Lone Star College in Houston, tuition for 12 credit hours for an out-of-state or international student costs $768 more than for an in-state student, and $2,424 more than for a student who lives within the college's tax district, according to the community college's 2025-26 rates. The Texas Tribune asked the six four-year universities and three community college districts with the most affidavit signers if they will request affected students who had already been billed or made a payment for summer classes to immediately pay the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition; what will happen if they can't pay; and if there will be a grace period. They were the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, UT-Dallas, UT-Arlington, UT-Austin, Texas A&M, University of Houston, Dallas College District, Lone Star College District and Houston Community College. Five schools have responded. UT-Dallas and the UH and Lone Star College systems said they are still working to understand what the court ruling means for their students and colleges. 'At this time, the full impact on UH System institutions and our students remains unclear,' a UH official said. A spokesperson for the Texas A&M University System said officials were coordinating with administrators across its campuses 'to gather information needed to develop an appropriate plan to implement the requirements of the order.' A UT-RGV spokesperson said officials would notify affected students directly, but did not offer specifics. 'Our priority and focus are on minimizing disruption to student success consistent with applicable law and helping students navigate this transition with clarity and care,' the spokesperson said in a statement. The full implications of the ruling may not be known until July or August, said Andrea Guengerich Harper, chief program strategy officer for Breakthrough Central Texas, which helps students who are the first in their family to pursue a post-secondary education. But she worries that students are already getting discouraged from continuing in higher education. 'Regardless of how this plays out in the fall, this is already having a negative impact,' Guengerich Harper said. 'It is uncertainty and fear and will knock students off of these post-secondary pathways that they are already enrolled in and committing to and have been working hard for years towards.' As they await for more information, Breakthrough Central Texas' team has started to help students search for other sources of financial support or lower-cost education options that might fit each students' needs and situation. 'No one should be withdrawing, but I think you know planning is going to be necessary, and so [students should start] to think about what other options they have in terms of cheaper pathways potentially to pursue their same credentials, those alternative ways to access dollars,' said Will Davies, director of policy and research for Breakthrough Central Texas. Taking general courses at a community college may be a more affordable option for new or younger students, but those colleges may not offer the more specialized courses upperclassmen need to finish their bachelor's degrees. Private universities have a single tuition rate for all their students and can offer merit or need-based scholarships or grants to high-performing students. However, they are generally more expensive and selective, making them out of reach for most students, Guengerich Harper said. Some private organizations, such as provide scholarships for undocumented students, including in states where in-state tuition is not an option for them. But Davies said he worries a few foundations or funds won't be able to cover the vast need among undocumented students in Texas. Since Texas became the first state to extend in-state tuition eligibility to undocumented students in 2001, Republican state lawmakers have filed at least 15 bills to undo the state law. While those efforts failed, immigrant rights advocates worried the push to repeal the law would gain more traction during the 2025 legislative session as the Trump administration promised to ramp up immigration enforcement and Texas sought to match its pace. The bill was voted out of committee for the first time in a decade, but failed to advance any further. Immigrant rights advocates' relief was short-lived. They were caught off guard when the Justice Department sued Texas last week noting that U.S. citizens living outside of Texas don't qualify for in-state tuition in the state's public universities. The feds argued that Texas should not offer undocumented students any benefit not afforded to U.S. citizens. The state agreed and asked the judge overseeing the case to side with the federal government, which he did and declared the law unconstitutional. Some legal experts have said the speedy way in which the case was resolved makes it seem like federal and state attorneys colluded to coordinate the outcome. Monica Andrade, an attorney and director of state policy and legal strategy at the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, said the argument that undocumented students were receiving benefits denied to U.S. citizens is false and misleading because, under the Texas Dreamer Act, both groups of people needed to meet the same criteria to qualify for in-state tuition. Since President Donald Trump's election in November, several states have moved to end similar tuition policies for undocumented students, Inside Higher Education reported. In February, Florida passed a law that will eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented students starting July 1. Lawmakers in Michigan and Minnesota also filed similar bills. Meanwhile, some states like Indiana and New Mexico have sought to expand in-state tuition eligibility. The Trump administration and Republicans have sought to end other benefits for immigrants. Under congressional and White House efforts, families with mixed immigration statuses — like those who have some children who are U.S. citizens and parents who are either undocumented or authorized immigrants, like refugees and asylum seekers — could be restricted from accessing programs like Medicaid, Medicare and federally subsidized housing. Texas in recent years has increasingly mirrored Trump's aggressive immigration agenda, increasing its law enforcement presence and building its own wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Disclosure: Houston Community College, Lone Star College, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University System, University of Texas at Austin and University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
CNN
04-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump DOJ sues Texas over law giving undocumented immigrants in-state tuition rates
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that the state of Texas is discriminating against out-of-state college students by allowing undocumented immigrants residing in Texas access to in-state tuition rates. DOJ alleges that the Texas law on the books for two decades that allows those immigrants who reside in the state lower tuition is unconstitutional and is asking federal district Judge Reed O'Connor, a Donald Trump appointee, to block it. 'Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement Wednesday. 'The Justice Department will relentlessly fight to vindicate federal law and ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens anywhere in the country.' Lawmakers in Texas have been pushing to change the state law, according to reports. Last month, the state Senate advanced a bill that would eliminate undocumented students' eligibility for in-state tuition and require those previously deemed eligible to pay the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition, according to the Texas Tribune. CNN has reached out to the Texas attorney general's office for comment.
CNN
04-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Trump DOJ sues Texas over law giving undocumented immigrants in-state tuition rates
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that the state of Texas is discriminating against out-of-state college students by allowing undocumented immigrants residing in Texas access to in-state tuition rates. DOJ alleges that the Texas law on the books for two decades that allows those immigrants who reside in the state lower tuition is unconstitutional and is asking federal district Judge Reed O'Connor, a Donald Trump appointee, to block it. 'Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement Wednesday. 'The Justice Department will relentlessly fight to vindicate federal law and ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens anywhere in the country.' Lawmakers in Texas have been pushing to change the state law, according to reports. Last month, the state Senate advanced a bill that would eliminate undocumented students' eligibility for in-state tuition and require those previously deemed eligible to pay the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition, according to the Texas Tribune. CNN has reached out to the Texas attorney general's office for comment.
The Independent
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
US formally moves to dismiss prosecution against Boeing and asks judge to cancel trial over crashes
The U.S. Justice Department has formally moved to dismiss a criminal fraud charge against Boeing and has asked a judge to cancel an upcoming trial connected to two plane crashes that killed 346 people off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia, according to court documents filed Thursday. The deal, announced last week, will allow the American aircraft manufacturer to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading U.S. regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before the planes crashed less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019. The 'agreement in principle' will require the company to pay and invest more than $1.1 billion, including an additional $445 million for the crash victims' families, in return for dismissing the criminal case, according to court documents. Dismissing the fraud charge will allow the manufacturer to avoid a possible criminal conviction that could have jeopardized the company's status as a federal contractor, experts have said. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, will decide whether to accept the motion to dismiss, accept the terms of the non-prosecution agreement and whether to cancel the trial. O'Connor on Thursday ordered all the lawyers to present him with a briefing schedule on the government's motion by June 4. Some relatives of the passengers who died in the crashes have been pushing for a public trial, the prosecution of former company officials, and more severe financial punishment for Boeing. The Justice Department has noted that the victims' families had mixed views on the proposed deal. Nadia Milleron, a Massachusetts resident whose 24-year-old daughter, Samya Stumo, died in the Ethiopia crash, in an email Thursday said it hurt her to read the Justice Department's 'false' statement that the agreement will secure meaningful accountability, deliver public benefits and bring finality to a complex case whose outcome would otherwise be uncertain. 'This is not a difficult or complex case because Boeing signed a confession,' Milleron said. 'There will be no accountability as a result of the NPA (non-prosecution deal).' Boeing said in a statement that the company is committed to complying with its obligations under the resolution, including commitments to further institutional improvements and investments, as well as additional compensation for families of those who died in the two plane crashes. 'We are deeply sorry for their losses, and remain committed to honoring their loved ones' memories by pressing forward with the broad and deep changes to our company that we have made to strengthen our safety system and culture,' a Boeing spokesperson said in the statement. Attorney Mark Lindquist, who represents dozens of the victims' families said in a statement Thursday that although he had wanted to see a more vigorous prosecution, he didn't think it was going to happen. 'At this point, I can only hope the criminal case and the lawsuits motivated Boeing to improve safety,' Lindquist said. 'That's what really matters. We all want to walk onto a Boeing plane and feel safe.' Boeing was accused of misleading the Federal Aviation Administration about aspects of the Max before the agency certified the plane for flight. Boeing did not tell airlines and pilots about a new software system that could turn the plane's nose down without input from pilots if a sensor detected that the plane might go into an aerodynamic stall. The Max planes crashed after a faulty reading from the sensor pushed the nose down and pilots were unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded until the company redesigned the software. The Justice Department charged Boeing in 2021 with deceiving FAA regulators about the software and about how much training pilots would need to fly the plane safely. The department agreed not to prosecute Boeing at the time, however, if the company paid a $2.5 billion settlement, including the $243.6 million fine, and took steps to comply with anti-fraud laws for three years. But last year, federal prosecutors said Boeing violated the terms of the 2021 agreement by failing to make promised changes to detect and prevent violations of federal anti-fraud laws. Boeing agreed last July to plead guilty to the felony fraud charge instead of enduring what could have been a lengthy public trial. Then in December, O'Connor rejected the plea deal. The judge said the diversity, inclusion and equity, or DEI, policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in picking a monitor to oversee Boeing's compliance with the agreement. Under the new agreement, Boeing must retain an 'independent compliance consultant' who will make recommendations for 'further improvement' and report back to the government, court documents said.
Associated Press
30-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
US formally moves to dismiss prosecution against Boeing and asks judge to cancel trial over crashes
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has formally moved to dismiss a criminal fraud charge against Boeing and has asked a judge to cancel an upcoming trial connected to two plane crashes that killed 346 people off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia, according to court documents filed Thursday. The deal, announced last week, will allow the American aircraft manufacturer to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading U.S. regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before the planes crashed less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019. The 'agreement in principle' will require the company to pay and invest more than $1.1 billion, including an additional $445 million for the crash victims' families, in return for dismissing the criminal case, according to court documents. Dismissing the fraud charge will allow the manufacturer to avoid a possible criminal conviction that could have jeopardized the company's status as a federal contractor, experts have said. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, will decide whether to accept the motion to dismiss, accept the terms of the non-prosecution agreement and whether to cancel the trial. O'Connor on Thursday ordered all the lawyers to present him with a briefing schedule on the government's motion by June 4. Some relatives of the passengers who died in the crashes have been pushing for a public trial, the prosecution of former company officials, and more severe financial punishment for Boeing. The Justice Department has noted that the victims' families had mixed views on the proposed deal. Nadia Milleron, a Massachusetts resident whose 24-year-old daughter, Samya Stumo, died in the Ethiopia crash, in an email Thursday said it hurt her to read the Justice Department's 'false' statement that the agreement will secure meaningful accountability, deliver public benefits and bring finality to a complex case whose outcome would otherwise be uncertain. 'This is not a difficult or complex case because Boeing signed a confession,' Milleron said. 'There will be no accountability as a result of the NPA (non-prosecution deal).' Boeing said in a statement that the company is committed to complying with its obligations under the resolution, including commitments to further institutional improvements and investments, as well as additional compensation for families of those who died in the two plane crashes. 'We are deeply sorry for their losses, and remain committed to honoring their loved ones' memories by pressing forward with the broad and deep changes to our company that we have made to strengthen our safety system and culture,' a Boeing spokesperson said in the statement. Attorney Mark Lindquist, who represents dozens of the victims' families said in a statement Thursday that although he had wanted to see a more vigorous prosecution, he didn't think it was going to happen. 'At this point, I can only hope the criminal case and the lawsuits motivated Boeing to improve safety,' Lindquist said. 'That's what really matters. We all want to walk onto a Boeing plane and feel safe.' Boeing was accused of misleading the Federal Aviation Administration about aspects of the Max before the agency certified the plane for flight. Boeing did not tell airlines and pilots about a new software system that could turn the plane's nose down without input from pilots if a sensor detected that the plane might go into an aerodynamic stall. The Max planes crashed after a faulty reading from the sensor pushed the nose down and pilots were unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded until the company redesigned the software. The Justice Department charged Boeing in 2021 with deceiving FAA regulators about the software and about how much training pilots would need to fly the plane safely. The department agreed not to prosecute Boeing at the time, however, if the company paid a $2.5 billion settlement, including the $243.6 million fine, and took steps to comply with anti-fraud laws for three years. But last year, federal prosecutors said Boeing violated the terms of the 2021 agreement by failing to make promised changes to detect and prevent violations of federal anti-fraud laws. Boeing agreed last July to plead guilty to the felony fraud charge instead of enduring what could have been a lengthy public trial. Then in December, O'Connor rejected the plea deal. The judge said the diversity, inclusion and equity, or DEI, policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in picking a monitor to oversee Boeing's compliance with the agreement. Under the new agreement, Boeing must retain an 'independent compliance consultant' who will make recommendations for 'further improvement' and report back to the government, court documents said.
