Sponsors (4)
The bill enforces immigration-related policy by threatening federal funding to institutions and states that grant in‑state tuition or aid to undocumented immigrants, clarifying federal enforcement authority but reducing access to higher education for affected students and creating fiscal and administrative burdens for states and colleges.
Federal funds can be withheld from institutions that provide in‑state tuition or state aid to undocumented immigrants, aligning federal funding incentives with federal immigration policy.
The bill clarifies a statutory cross‑reference, reducing legal ambiguity for the Secretary of Education in administering and enforcing the provision.
Public colleges and universities could lose federal grants and federal student aid for a year, damaging institutional budgets, campus services, and support for all students.
Students who are not lawfully present (undocumented) may lose access to in‑state tuition and state financial aid, making college unaffordable for those individuals.
States that provide in‑state tuition or aid to undocumented students may face fiscal pressure and legal conflict with the federal government, complicating state higher‑education policy and budgeting.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Makes public colleges ineligible for federal financial assistance if they give in‑state tuition or state financial aid to people not lawfully present in the U.S.; the Secretary enforces ineligibility.
Introduced March 26, 2025 by Nancy Mace · Last progress March 26, 2025
Amends existing federal law to make public colleges and universities ineligible for federal financial assistance if they charge people not lawfully present in the U.S. the same in‑state tuition as residents or provide state-based financial aid to such individuals. One section only provides a short title and has no operative effect. The change directs the Secretary of Education to determine ineligibility; any institution found ineligible would lose federal financial assistance for the fiscal year following the year the determination is made. The amendment also incorporates existing statutory definitions for key terms like “Federal financial assistance,” “institution of higher education,” and “State.”