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Providing In-state Tuition To Undocumented Immigrants Increases College Enrollment

Date:
October 15, 2008
Source:
Wiley-Blackwell
Summary:
Providing tuition subsidy increased the college enrollment and educational attainment of young noncitizen Mexicans.
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Undocumented youth are not likely to go to college. Usually they do not qualify for financial aid and often come from low-income families with little ability to pay college tuition.

A new study in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management found that providing tuition subsidy in the form of in-state tuition increased the college enrollment and educational attainment of non-citizen, Mexican young adults, a group comprising a majority of undocumented individuals in the United States.

Results show that the in-state tuition policy was associated with a 31 percent increase in college enrollment and a 33 percent increase in the proportion of Mexican young adults with a college degree.

“Without opportunities for college education, the undocumented youth may be pushed into an underground economy and remain isolated from the mainstream American society,” the author concludes. “Access to affordable higher education can potentially open new opportunities for these youth, which may improve their future economic prospects, productivity, and contributions to the U.S. economy.”

Neeraj Kaushal, PhD, of Columbia University used data from the Current Population Survey, which provides information on the citizenship status of a foreign-born person, to analyze whether the provision of in-state college tuition affected college enrollment and educational achievement.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Wiley-Blackwell. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Kaushal et al. In-state tuition for the undocumented: Education effects on Mexican young adults. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, October 2008; 27 (4): 771 DOI: 10.1002/pam.20366

Cite This Page:

Wiley-Blackwell. "Providing In-state Tuition To Undocumented Immigrants Increases College Enrollment." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 October 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015130638.htm>.
Wiley-Blackwell. (2008, October 15). Providing In-state Tuition To Undocumented Immigrants Increases College Enrollment. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015130638.htm
Wiley-Blackwell. "Providing In-state Tuition To Undocumented Immigrants Increases College Enrollment." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081015130638.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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