Undocumented students in 22 states pay out-of-state tuition at their own state university

Undocumented students who have lived in a state for their entire life — attending K-12 public schools, paying sales tax, their parents paying property tax through rent — are classified as out-of-state students for tuition purposes in 22 states. At a school like the University of Georgia, this means paying $31,120/year instead of $11,830/year — a $19,290 gap per year that no federal financial aid can cover because undocumented students are ineligible for FAFSA, Pell Grants, and federal student loans. So what? Even high-achieving undocumented students who get accepted to their state flagship are priced out entirely. So what? They either don't go to college at all or attend the cheapest option available regardless of fit, which is often a community college with no clear transfer pathway. So what? An estimated 98,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools each year, and only 5-10% enroll in any postsecondary education. Why does this persist? State legislatures treat in-state tuition for undocumented students as politically radioactive immigration policy rather than education policy, even though these students have no control over their immigration status and were brought to the country as children.