Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has been in limbo since President Donald Trump decided to end of the program in September of 2017. Protests and rallies have taken place across major cities ever since, and federal judges have blocked the move to terminate DACA.
Laws for DACA students vary state by state on the education front. In Missouri, DACA recipients don’t have access to in-state tuition rates for attending state or community college. 20 states currently allow Dreamers, a colloquail name often used for DACA recipients, to qualify for in-state tuition, including some of Missouri’s neighbors: Illinois, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.
“There are some states, and Missouri’s one of them, that doesn’t really support Dreamers,” University of Missouri Cambio Center interim director Stephen Jeanetta said.
On March 27, the Missouri House heard a proposal attempting to revoke the law barring DACA students from access to in-state tuition. The House voted the proposal down 104 to 37. According to Missouri law, DACA recipients and students with “unlawful immigration status” must be charged at least as much in tuition as international students.
At MU, the school estimated cost of attendance for the 2017-18 year to be $27,964 for a Missouri resident and $38,948 for an international student. MU has groups like Voz Latina, a network for Latino faculty, staff and students; and the Association of Latin American students (ALAS), which offer public support for “Dreamers.”
University of Missouri-System President Mun Choi and the System’s chancellors also issued a statement in support of DACA students following Trump’s decision in September of 2017.
“We request a fair and compassionate solution to support the young people who have been placed in desperate situation through no fault of their own,” the statement read. “We will work closely with our DACA students to provide support and guidance during this period of uncertainty.”
Despite Missouri’s current stance on education for DACA recipients, National Immigration Law Center senior staff attorney Tanya Broder believes that states like Missouri may open up their immigration education laws over time.
“More and more, I see states moving in that direction,” Broder said. “I saw a lot of activity even this year to increase access to education for American students of all statuses.”