Undocumented students who’ve grown up in Michigan may soon be eligible for in-state tuition at one of the state’s biggest universities.
On Thursday, the regents at the University of Michigan will vote on a new policy that will redefine what it means to be an in-state student at the university.
Provost Martha Pollock, who took office this May, said the changes being proposed would benefit more than the state’s undocumented students.
From today's press release:
“ ‘We believe these changes create a clearer path to in-state tuition for several groups of future students, including military veterans and undocumented students who have made Michigan their home,’ Pollack says. Students who attend a Michigan middle school for two years, then attend a Michigan high school for at least three years before graduating would qualify for in-state tuition as long as they start their U-M education within 28 months of graduation.”
Currently, tuition for in-state lowerclassmen at Michigan is $13,142 each year. Out-of-state students, however, face tuition fees around $40,392 annually.
In April 2012, former Provost Phil Hanlon created a student-faculty task force to research in-state tuition for undocumented students. The group was created after a year of rallies and protests from the student group Coalition of Tuition Equality, who fought for equal tuition prices for all Michigan students.
Eight students were arrested last April, after blocking traffic in front of the university’s union in protest of the slow progress made on tuition equality.
The press release notes that while the university’s policy may change, federal financial aid regulations haven’t -- meaning even students who may now receive in-state tuition prices may not eligible for federal funding, like Pell Grants.
- Melanie Kruvelis, Michigan Radio Newsroom
