Latest news with #inStateTuition
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
These are the top-ranked New Jersey colleges
While college-bound students often seek to spread their wings, tens of thousands choose to remain in New Jersey each year to take advantage of in-state tuition and highly ranked programs. Students who enroll in one of New Jersey's four-year public colleges and universities benefit from in-state tuition, which can reduce the cost by more than 50%. At Rutgers – New Brunswick, for example, the tuition for state residents in 2024-25 was $17,929 while out-of-state students paid $37,441. Academically, Rutgers – New Brunswick ranks No. 15 of the Top Public National Universities, according to U.S. News & World Report, ahead of such notable institutions as University of Maryland, Purdue University, University of Georgia, and Virgina Tech. Substantial in-state discounts are likewise in place at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Rowan University, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, Kean University, and more. More: Researching college majors pays future dividends | College Connection Fortunately, local students are not sacrificing educational rigor as many New Jersey schools, both public and private, offer impressive, highly ranked programs. Princeton University, ranked No. 1 Best National University by U.S. News & World Report, has an extremely low acceptance rate of 4%. However, according to the University's newspaper, The Daily Princetonian, nearly 17% of the incoming Class of 2025 hails from New Jersey. While excelling in all fields, Princeton's most popular majors are Social Sciences, Engineering, and Computer & Information Sciences. Another private Garden State institution, Stevens Institute of Technology, is particularly renown for its programs in Engineering which enroll 53% of the student body. Graduates, overall, move onto successful careers earning a median salary of $90,326 six years after graduation. More: Private consulting firms help set college costs | College Connection New Jersey Institute of Technology, ranked in the Top 50 Public Universities Nationwide, is particularly noted for its programs in Engineering and Computer and Information Sciences. According to its website, the average starting salary for NJIT graduates is $82,232. The College of New Jersey, ranked No. 1 Top Public Regional University – North, is best known for its programs in Business and Teaching. It also hosts a highly competitive seven-year direct entry medical program with Rutgers' New Jersey Medical School. Seton Hall, a Catholic university, is particularly attractive to local students pursuing health-related careers due to its five and six year dual-degree programs. Students can earn their bachelor's and master's degree in Athletic Training in five years, and their bachelor's and advanced degree in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant, and Speech-Language Pathology in six years. New Jersey's college-bound students would do well to research the opportunities within their state before contributing to the 'brain drain' of those leaving the Garden State. Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit or call 908-369-5362 This article originally appeared on These are the top-ranked New Jersey colleges | Opinion
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
What to know as Trump administration targets tuition breaks for students without legal status
AUSTIN, Texas — For two decades on Texas college campuses, it was a resilient law in the face of Republicans' hardening immigration agenda: in-state tuition prices for students who did not have legal resident status. But in a flash, the Texas policy that was the first of its kind in the U.S. was halted Wednesday, blocked by a federal judge hours after the Justice Department sued to dismantle it. Republican Texas leaders did not fight the challenge, but instead eagerly joined it.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
What to know as Trump administration targets tuition breaks for students without legal status
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — For two decades on Texas college campuses, it was a resilient law in the face of Republicans' hardening immigration agenda: in-state tuition prices for students who did not have legal resident status. But in a flash, the Texas policy that was the first of its kind in the U.S. was halted Wednesday, blocked by a federal judge hours after the Justice Department sued to dismantle it. Republican Texas leaders did not fight the challenge, but instead eagerly joined it. The surprise and quick end to the law, known as the 'Texas Dream Act,' stunned immigration advocates and Democrats, who called it a cruel punishment for hardworking students that will ultimately hurt the state's economy. Republicans cheered the outcome and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested that states with similar tuition policies could face similar actions. The lighting ruling ended a Texas policy that had once enjoyed bipartisan support when it was created in 2001, helped tens of thousands of students get into college and spawned similar laws in two dozen states. Here's what to know: The Texas law and the impactThe Texas tuition policy was initially passed with sweeping bipartisan majorities in the state Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, as a way to open access to higher education for students without legal residency already living in the state. Supporters then and now say it boosted the state's economy by creating a better-educated and better-prepared workforce. The law allowed students without legal resident status to qualify for in-state tuition if they had lived in Texas for three years before graduating from high school, and for a year before enrolling in college. They also had to sign an affidavit promising to apply for legal resident status as soon as possible. Texas now has about 57,000 qualifying students enrolled in its public universities and colleges, according to the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a nonpartisan nonprofit group of university leaders focused on immigration policy. The state has about 690,000 students overall at its public universities. The difference in tuition rates is substantial. For example, at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, a 34,000-student campus along the border with Mexico, a state resident will pay about $10,000 in basic tuition for a minimum full-time class schedule in the upcoming school year. A non-resident student will pay $19,000. 'UTRGV understands that the consent judgment may affect financial plans already made by individual students,' the school said in a statement Thursday. '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.' Political pushback and a swift end The law stood mostly unchallenged for years, but it came under fire as debates over illegal immigration intensified. In the 2012 Republican presidential primary, Perry ended up apologizing after saying critics of the law 'did not have a heart.' The law withstood several repeal efforts in the Republican-dominated Legislature. In the legislative session that ended on June 2, a repeal bill did not even get a vote. But the ax fell quickly. On Wednesday, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit calling the law unconstitutional. State Attorney General Ken Paxton, a key Trump ally, chose not to defend the law in court and instead filed a motion agreeing that it should not be enforced. With the state administration aligned with the Trump administration, the law was suddenly struck down by a federal judge without even an argument on the lawsuit's merits or a response from the students affected. Trump, immigration and higher ed The Trump administration challenged the law in a border state where Gov. Greg Abbott, Paxton and the Republican leadership have given full-throated support to his immigrant crackdown efforts and have spent billions trying to help. The ruling also expanded efforts by Trump to influence higher education across the country. The administration has leveraged federal funding and its student visa authority to clamp down on campus activism and stamp out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Impact beyond Texas The ruling affected only the Texas law, but with nearly half of U.S. states having similar policies, Bondi suggested the administration could pursue similar action elsewhere. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill to repeal the law in that state in July. 'Other states should take note that we will continue filing affirmative litigation to remedy unconstitutional state laws that discriminate against American citizens,' Bondi said. Immigration lawyers and education advocates said they are assessing if there are legal avenues to challenge the Texas ruling. 'Make no mistake, advocates, students, campuses are not going to just take this,' said Miriam Feldblum, president and chief executive officer of the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. 'But I have no doubt there will be an effort to do this (elsewhere).'
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
DOJ sues Texas for offering in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants in alleged violation of federal law
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint against Texas to block the state's two-decade-old law that provides in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. The complaint was filed Wednesday in the Northern District of Texas against the State of Texas and several Texas officials to get Texas to comply with federal requirements. Under federal law, higher education institutions are prohibited from providing benefits to illegal aliens not offered to U.S. citizens. The DOJ's complaint aims to enjoin the enforcement of a Texas law requiring colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for immigrants who maintain residency in Texas, regardless of whether they are in the U.S. legally. According to the DOJ, the laws in Texas "blatantly" conflict with federal law, putting them in conflict with the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution. "Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens," Attorney General Pam Bondi said. "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." The lawsuit was filed in response to two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump since returning to the Oval Office in January. The executive orders were signed to ensure illegal immigrants cannot receive taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. One of the orders, "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders," ordered all agencies to "ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens." The other order, "Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens," directs officials to "take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens." Fox News Digital has reached out to Gov. Greg Abbott's office for comment. Widely known as the Texas Dream Act, the legislation being targeted by the Trump administration was introduced in February 2001, when federal courts ruled that a child's immigration status should not prevent the child's access to primary and secondary schools. But when it came to higher education, federal immigration status could have prevented some children born outside the U.S. from getting a college education from a public institution because of higher rates charged to nonresidents. When children born outside the U.S. graduated from Texas high schools, those students were required by previous state law to pay a higher rate to Texas public colleges or universities, as if they were from out of state or were international students. The legislation, signed by Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, June 16, 2001, removed federal immigration status as a factor in determining eligibility to pay in-state tuition at Texas public colleges and universities for students who graduate from a Texas high school and who meet the minimum residency, academic and registration criteria.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Executive Order Seeks to End Undocumented In-State Tuition Programs
This article was originally published in Chalkbeat. Undocumented students in Colorado have gone on to be teachers, nurses, and business owners thanks to a program that allows them to pay in-state tuition at public universities. Now the future of that program and ones like it in 23 other states are in doubt after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that seeks to punish states and cities with so-called sanctuary policies. The order, signed on April 28, also specifically calls out programs that provide in-state tuition for undocumented students who graduated from high school in that state or who meet other residency requirements. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Allowing in-state students who are not citizens to pay less tuition than out-of-state students who are citizens represents discrimination, according to the order, which says that the attorney general, in cooperation with the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, 'shall identify and take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of state and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful.' Advocates for immigrant students say that without in-state tuition, many undocumented students will struggle to afford college. They don't qualify for any federal financial aid and face other barriers to college. 'This is absolutely essential for immigrant students,' said Raquel Lane-Arellano, communications manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, which fought to pass Colorado's in-state tuition law in 2013. 'It's not these students' fault that our immigration system is so broken. They deserve the opportunity, just like all of their peers, to access higher levels of education.' So far, Colorado universities are not making any immediate changes to their policies. 'The executive order does not provide enough details to truly know what federal actions will be taken,' said Colorado Department of Higher Education spokesperson Megan McDermott. The Trump order sets up a possible legal showdown over the state-supported tuition programs that immigrant rights and higher education-advising groups have called essential to help undocumented students access higher education and educate them to fill in-demand jobs. Twenty-four states, including Colorado, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey, along with Washington, D.C. have programs that allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. While the programs have received bipartisan support, Republicans in several states have recently filed bills to consider rolling back in-state tuition for undocumented students. Last week, Florida lawmakers ended the state's decade-old program. The order adds to an already uncertain environment for immigrant students, who worry about the risks of filling out financial aid paperwork while grappling with deportation fears. Denver Scholarship Foundation's Natasha Garfield said the college-advising nonprofit will continue to provide students information about their options and allow them to decide whether college is right for them during a time when Trump's immigration stance has brought incredible uncertainty. 'There are some who are very, very concerned about the state of things, and I don't think there's anything that DSF or anyone else could say to reassure them,' said Garfield, the scholarship organization's director of scholarships and financial aid. 'I think that's completely understandable given some of the actions that we've seen coming from ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and the federal government.' The order is part of Trump's larger push to crack down on people in the United States without legal authorization. His directive to punish states with these programs also included several other enforcement actions such as punishing so-called sanctuary cities and states. The administration filed suit Friday against Colorado and Denver for its policies. The administration argues in the order that some state and local officials use their 'authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of federal immigration laws. This is a lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law.' States have a long history of offering in-state tuition at public universities to youth who were brought as children and without legal status. Texas and California passed the first laws in 2001, and other states followed with similar laws. Each varies in how they approach granting in-state tuition. About 408,000 undocumented students enroll in higher education each year, although not all benefit from these state programs, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal. However, even in states without these laws, some private schools in Tennessee and elsewhere may offer in-state tuition for all students regardless of their residency or legal status. And in Pennsylvania, at least one public institution provides in-state tuition to undocumented students. Colorado's Advising Students for a Stronger Tomorrow law, or ASSET, updated in 2019, says students must have attended a Colorado high school for at least one year before graduation or been physically present in Colorado for at least one year to qualify for in-state tuition. New York's law says students must have attended at least two years of high school in New York and graduate or receive a general education diploma. Students must also apply to a college or university within five years and show proof of residency. They must also sign an affidavit saying they will file for legal status. Illinois' law has similar requirements, while New Jersey requires three years of residency. National student immigrant advocacy organizations and the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration all criticized the order. Collectively, they said states, colleges, and universities shouldn't overreact and that the order hurts states that need qualified workers. 'Blocking states from offering in-state tuition to undocumented students who have lived in these states for most of their lives would purposefully lock countless individuals out of the higher education system, waste years of educational investment, hurt local economies, and rob all Americans of future leaders,' said Todd Schulte, president. State leaders are still working to understand the impact of the order, and a spokesperson for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement the administration is looking into the impacts of this order. The state remains committed to ensuring the state remains a destination for all learners, the statement says. The state has not filed any legal action against the order, but leaders have been willing to push back on Trump administration orders. Colorado's largest university system also doesn't plan changes at this time. University of Colorado System spokesperson Michele Ames said its schools are committed to following applicable laws and will not make any changes at this time. Other universities, such as the University of Northern Colorado, are monitoring the actions. Schools across the state have also said that they won't release individual student information, such as information about undocumented students who attend schools through the ASSET program, to the federal government without a court order or warrant, per federal student privacy laws. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at
