A state bill that would give undocumented students a bit of a break on public college tuition has cleared a key legislative panel. The House Higher Education Committee approved HB 120 this week.
Currently, undocumented students can attend some of Georgia’s public colleges and universities, but they have to pay out-of-state tuition rates. Depending on the school, that could be about 3-4 times what in-state rates are.
HB 120 wouldn’t necessarily let undocumented students pay in-state rates. Instead, schools can set an “opportunity tuition rate,” which could be between 100% and 110% of in-state tuition costs.
“I do think it’s important to give the university system flexibility,” said Rep. Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton), the bill’s lead sponsor. “But I also want to make sure that we’re making a concerted effort to show folks that we want them to have opportunities to stay in Georgia and pay taxes in Georgia.”
Under the bill, undocumented students still wouldn’t be able to attend some of the state’s research universities, like Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. A Board of Regents rule bans undocumented students from schools that have had to turn down qualified applicants.
