Tim Gindling

Small Research Grant

Impacts of Expanding Undocumented Immigrant Students’ Access to Higher Education: Estimates Using In-State Resident Tuition Laws and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

Lisa Dickson and Tim Gindling, UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County)

There are over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., representing approximately 4% of the population. Many of these undocumented immigrants come to the U.S. as school-age children. Undocumented immigrant children have a legal right to attend free public primary and secondary schools in the United States. However, in most states undocumented immigrants are treated as out-of-state or international students in public colleges and universities, and are therefore required to pay substantially higher tuition than other state residents. Because undocumented immigrant children are likely to live in low-income households, paying out-of-state tuition for public higher education presents a second barrier to immigrant children enrolling in and completing a college education in the U.S.

Since 2001, 21 of 50 U.S. states have implemented policies that allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state resident tuition (ISRT) rates at public colleges and universities. In 12 of these states undocumented immigrants are also eligible for financial aid. In this study Dickson and Gindling examine the impact of these policies. Preliminary findings present strong evidence that ISRT policies and access to financial aid significantly increase the college enrollment and graduation rates of undocumented immigrants but have no impact on the college enrollment or graduation rates of U.S.-born youth.

Another important change in immigration policy that affects many undocumented immigrant children is the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), begun in 2012. DACA allows undocumented individuals who came to the U.S. as children to obtain legal employment. The potential of being able to work legally in the United States could represent a significant increase in earnings as well as a substantial increase in the perceived benefits of higher education. Preliminary findings present evidence that DACA led to an increase in youth employment and a decrease in college enrollment rates. Further, we find no evidence that the introduction of DACA affected the positive impact of ISRT policies.