Submission Details
Impact Write-Up
The Center Square’s reporting gave taxpayers a national view of how state higher education benefits are being extended to eligible illegal immigrant students, an issue now shaping debates over college access, state budgets, and fairness for U.S. citizens. The Center Square’s article documented that 21 states and the District of Columbia offer in-state tuition eligibility to certain illegal immigrant students, while 18 states and D.C. provide access to state financial aid programs.
The story examined how those policies translate into taxpayer costs. At a University of California school, for example, base in-state tuition is roughly $15,000 annually, compared with more than $31,000 for nonresidents. That difference means eligible illegal immigrant students receive an estimated $16,000 annual tuition benefit. The reporting also cited a 2025 report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform estimating that education-related expenses associated with illegal immigration total $5.7 billion nationally.
The Center Square’s story compared policies across the country, including California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and states that bar illegal immigrant students from state financial aid programs. This broad scope helped explain why the issue is especially timely. In Texas, the U.S. Department of Justice sued over the Texas Dream Act in June 2025, and a federal court later blocked enforcement while the case continued. In Illinois, a new law signed in December 2025 expanded eligibility for state-administered financial aid programs, including the Monetary Award Program grant, which received more than $700 million in fiscal year 2024.
The Center Square’s reporting included interviews with critics and advocates. Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform argued that taxpayers are being forced to subsidize benefits for illegal immigrant students while some American students are denied in-state tuition. Lance Izumi of the Pacific Research Institute said the issue raises concerns about fairness, fiscal policy, and higher education’s future. Kassandra Gonzalez of the Texas Civil Rights Project’s Beyond Borders Program offered a counterpoint, arguing that immigrant students contribute to local economies and that claims they take opportunities from others misstate the economics of the issue.
The article reached a broad national audience, with 219 republications across 44 states. By combining state-by-state policy comparisons, litigation context, fiscal data, and competing perspectives, The Center Square gave readers a clear account of how taxpayer-funded higher education benefits are expanding and what questions lawmakers, students, and taxpayers must weigh.
Staff Submission
This story examined the growing use of state taxpayer-funded financial aid and in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrant students, documenting how policies have expanded to 21 states and the District of Columbia while highlighting the debate over fairness, fiscal priorities and access to higher education. I analyzed financial aid allocations, tuition rates and public reports from organizations representing differing viewpoints, including Higher Ed Immigration, Every Texan, the Federation for American Immigration Reform and state budget agencies. I interviewed advocates and critics, including policy experts, attorneys involved in active litigation and education experts who shared their thoughts on programs like the DREAM Act. The story looked at specific individual states like California, New York, Illinois and other states and how much taxpayers are spending on these programs. The broader national context is also important, looking at how policies differ by state and the competing arguments about economic impact and taxpayer costs.