Undocumented immigrants that attended high school in the state will begin paying significantly less to attend the state’s public colleges and universities this upcoming school year, as Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has signed a bill into law allowing them to pay in-state tuition rates.

The impact of the law is uncertain. Backers estimate about 200 undocumented students will take advantage of the in-state tuition–a tiny fraction of the 126,000 students in the state’s three college and university systems. Higher education officials, who generally support the bill, have said few undocumented immigrants are enrolled now, and advocates say many will still fear coming forward and declaring their illegal status to receive the reduced rate.

The 12 other states that allow in-state tuition for undocumented students require them to attend one to three years of high school in-state, according to a National Conference of State Legislators report. Connecticut’s new law that will begin for the upcoming school year will require students prove they attended four years of high school in the state.

In-state tuition and fees are about one-third of the cost of out-of-state rates.

Jacqueline was CT Mirror’s Education and Housing Reporter, and an original member of the CT Mirror staff, joining shortly before our January 2010 launch. Her awards include the best-of-show Theodore A. Driscoll Investigative Award from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists in 2019 for reporting on inadequate inmate health care, first-place for investigative reporting from the New England Newspaper and Press Association in 2020 for reporting on housing segregation, and two first-place awards from the National Education Writers Association in 2012. She was selected for a prestigious, year-long Propublica Local Reporting Network grant in 2019, exploring a range of affordable and low-income housing issues. Before joining CT Mirror, Jacqueline was a reporter, online editor and website developer for The Washington Post Co.’s Maryland newspaper chains. Jacqueline received an undergraduate degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University and a master’s in public policy from Trinity College.

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