Texas In-State Tuition: What You Need to Know
In 2001, then-Governor Rick Perry signed the Texas Dream Act, House Bill (H.B.) 1403, which provides the state’s eligible undocumented students, including DACA recipients, with access to in-state tuition and state financial aid. Out-of-state tuition rates are typically three times higher than in-state rates, on average. Thanks in part to this law-making higher education more affordable, approximately 59,000 undocumented students are currently enrolled in higher education in Texas and are poised to be important parts of the state’s future workforce.
State of Play In-State Tuition in Texas
There have been multiple attempts to repeal this law since 2001, including in 2023, but each has failed. In April 2022, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the University of North Texas cannot charge out-of-state U.S. students higher tuition than is charged to undocumented Texas students, who qualify for in-state tuition rates as per the 2001 Texas law. UNT lawyers have appealed the decision. While the decision does not directly impact undocumented students, it could have significant implications for the future of the 2001 law.
This resource includes information and data related to the benefits of keeping In-state tuition for Dreamers in Texas. The resource covers the following topics and arguments:
- Requirements for In-state tuition for Dreamers in Texas
- Comparison of In-State Tuition vs. Out-of-State Tuition in Texas
- Benefits of Keeping In-state tuition for Dreamers
- The Dream.US Student Narratives
Additional Resources
The Economic Cost of Repealing In-State Tuition in Texas | American Immigration Council
Overview: Eligibility For In-State Tuition and State Financial Programs (texas.gov)
EO_2019_TxDreamAct.pdf (everytexan.org)
