IFT: Court Ruling on Tuition Punishes Illinois Students for Where They Were Born

CHICAGO, IL - In response to a federal court ruling that struck down in-state tuition and financial aid provisions for undocumented students, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) called on Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Attorney General, and university leaders across the state to move immediately to protect college access for the nearly 25,000 undocumented students currently enrolled in Illinois colleges and universities. 

A Trump-appointed judge ruled that provisions of the Acevedo Act, the RISE Act, and the Illinois DREAM Act Scholarship program violate federal law. This move strips eligible undocumented students of in-state tuition rates and state financial aid. At some Illinois colleges and universities, out-of-state tuition runs nearly three times higher than in-state rates, a difference that could push college out of reach for thousands of students days before the fall semester begins. 

The ruling threatens more than two decades of Illinois policy built on the idea that students who grow up in Illinois, attend Illinois high schools, and plan to build their futures here deserve access to higher education across Illinois.

“We’ve watched these students grow up in our classrooms,” said Stacy Davis Gates, President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and Chicago Teachers Union. “They learned from us and our colleges and universities should be open to them. This court ruling will never erase the truth that they belong here, and we will not let this shut the door on their futures right as the fall semester starts.”

Schools across the state are now scrambling to figure out the impact of this ruling on students who are enrolled and expecting to pay in-state tuition rates. Uncertainty is growing for a large portion of our undocumented students who are enrolled in community colleges as well.  

This disruption comes as the Governor and General Assembly already owe $1.4 billion to Illinois colleges and universities. Illinois students in higher education already are facing tuition hikes and program and staffing cuts, the last thing they need is more stress, uncertainty, and costs. 

Gov. Pritzker, Illinois lawmakers, and university leaders have the ability and the responsibility to seek every available path, including financial aid and legal action, to keep college affordable and accessible for undocumented students this fall and beyond.

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