Statement by Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust, on the IN-STATE for Dreamers Act
WASHINGTON (January 16, 2014) Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust, issued the following statement in response to the Investing IN States To Achieve Tuition Equity (IN-STATE) for Dreamers Act of 2014, legislation introduced by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO). The IN-STATE for Dreamers Act encourages states to increase access to higher education for low-income students, regardless of immigration status. The program would provide $750 million in need-based student financial aid to states that set equitable in-state tuition rates or offer state financial aid to undocumented students.
In many states, undocumented students with enormous potential are priced out of public colleges and universities or are charged out-of-state tuition rates even when their families have paid taxes for years. Discouraged by these difficult odds, many undocumented students drop out of school or dont pursue postsecondary education. Fortunately, The Investing in States to Achieve Tuition Equity (IN-STATE) for Dreamers Act introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) aims to remedy this practice.
Education is the key to opportunity, productivity and upward mobility. In todays challenging world economy, it is foolhardy for us as a nation to restrict the ability of any of our young people to pursue higher education simply because they were born elsewhere.
We applaud Sen. Murray and Rep. Polis for their efforts, through the IN-STATE for Dreamers Act, to bring a college education back into reach for undocumented students. Our country cannot afford to leave these hardworking students behind.
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