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Tennessee Senate Committee To Discuss Immigration Legislation

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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. 

Chrissy served as WUOT's News Director and host of monthly public affairs talk show Dialogue from late 2021 to early 2023. Her first job with the station was as weekend student announcer while earning her bachelor's in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee. She had previously been the station's local host for NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered news programs; occasionally filled in as host for WUOT's Morning and Afternoon Concerts; and won multiple awards for her interviews, feature stories, and Dialogue.