FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 05, 2025
Contact: Emma Bittner
(972) 510-3395 | Emma.Bittner@younginvincibles.org
Texas Abruptly Ends In-State Tuition for DACA Recipients
(Austin, TX) – Wednesday evening, Texas ended a decades-old law that enabled Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients to pay in-state college tuition. This decision came hours after the Department of Justice sued Texas to overturn the law.
Texas was the first state to grant in-state tuition for DACA recipient students when the Texas Dream Act was signed into law in 2001. Since then, over 20 states have followed Texas’ lead.
During the 89th Legislative Session, Texas narrowly failed a bill that would have overturned this legislation.
In response, Travis Evans, Southern Regional Director at Young Invincibles said:
“DACA recipients are Texans and should have the same right to affordable and accessible higher education as any other Texan. Approximately 57,000 undocumented students are enrolled in colleges and universities across Texas. Overturning this law is yet another vile attack on young people who have spent most of their lives in the U.S., contributing to their communities and striving for a better future. This heinous decision will have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond higher education – it threatens to damage the state’s workforce, weaken economic growth, and exacerbate inequality. Rescinding in-state tuition could cost Texas more than $460 million a year in lost wages and spending power, creating a ripple effect across industries and communities.
Texas was quick to fall in line with the Trump Administration’s agenda, a cowardly betrayal of the very values of opportunity and hard work that the state claims to uphold. The state’s swift action to end this law sends a clear and direct message: DACA recipients are good enough to work, pay taxes, and contribute—but not good enough to have equal access to affordable higher education. Texans know better; we will continue to fight for a future where every student, regardless of immigration status, has the chance to succeed.”
In response, JSR, DACA recipient and graduate from a Texas university said:
“The recent developments to prevent undocumented students from accessing in-state college tuition are counterintuitive and just blatantly anti-Texan. This longstanding policy has made it easier for tens of thousands of students to pursue higher education, earn a degree, and—not so surprisingly—contribute back to our Texas economy. I would not have been able to dedicate the majority of my professional career to helping at-risk youth and some of the most vulnerable members of our community, regardless of their immigration status, if it were not for this policy. As Texans, we should strive to dismantle barriers to higher education rather than retroactively erect them.”
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Young Invincibles (YI) is a national advocacy and policy nonprofit organization focused on amplifying the voice of young people in the political process at the local, state, and federal levels. YI focuses on issues impacting young adults ages 18 to 34 in higher education, health care, economic security, and civic engagement. Our offices include Washington, D.C., California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Texas. For more information, please contact Emma Bittner at (972) 510-3395 or emma.bittner@younginvincibles.org