Students without legal status are dropping out or delaying college as states revoke tuition breaks
September 2, 2025
Across the country, tens of thousands of college students without legal status are losing access to in-state tuition as part of an immigration crackdown carried out by President Donald Trump and his allies. In Florida, state lawmakers revoked a 2014 law that let residents who are in the country illegally qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. A Texas law gave college students without legal residency access to in-state tuition for decades before a federal judge blocked it. The Justice Department has been suing states to end tuition breaks, starting with Texas in June, followed by Kentucky, Minnesota and Oklahoma.