Tomorrow, the Tennessee Senate Education Committee will discuss legislation that would qualify undocumented immigrants for in-state tuition to the state’s universities and community colleges.
The Tennessean newspaper reports that the legislation would apply to undocumented immigrants who came to Tennessee as children and, if passed, would qualify them for in-state tuition to any University of Tennessee or Tennessee Board of Regents education facility.
The other requirements are attending school in Tennessee for at least five years before graduating from high school and meeting the state’s academic standards for a Hope lottery scholarship; those students would not, however, be eligible for that scholarship.
Republican State Senator Todd Gardenhire introduced the measure. If it passes, Tennessee would be the 20th state to offer in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants and the first state to do it in the Southeast.