BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts lawmakers are reviving a debate about whether undocumented immigrants should be eligible for in-state college tuition rates.
Backers of both sides are expected to gather at the Statehouse on Wednesday as lawmakers hear public testimony on competing bills.
For more than a decade, lawmakers have debated whether undocumented immigrants should get in-state tuition rates, which are often half the price of out-of-state rates. For the first time this year, a proposal also would offer them state financial aid.
There are six related proposals before a state education committee. Democrats have backed legislation to open access to undocumented students, while Republican proposals aim to block it.
The National Conference of State Legislatures says at least 18 states give in-state rates to undocumented students, while at least three prohibit it.
