Adrian Suarez Avila/ Staff Writer
Last fall, the University ushered in a new era of opportunity for undocumented students, as it became the first school in Florida to offer out-of-state tuition waivers to non-resident students eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Although Miami Dade College and FIU remain the only educational institutions in the state that waive out-of-state tuition fees for undocumented students, FIU only does so for those eligible for DACA, a fact that has led state government officials to tackle opposition in an effort to secure tuition equity for all undocumented students.
On Thursday, April 17, Florida’s Budget Chairman, Sen. Joe Negron, declared that his committee would abstain from holding a vote on SB1400, which aims to allow undocumented students who have attended a Florida high school for at least three years to waive out-of-state tuition fees.
With less than a week left in the state’s legislative session, and with Senate president Don Gaetz’s opposition to SB1400, passage of the bill will be a lot more difficult to ensure.
“I guess that the key point to make is that saying ‘no’ to in-state tuition is saying ‘no’ to Florida’s future,” said Claudio Galaz, junior history major and president of Students Working for Equal Rights.
“We have been waiting for the past 10 years for in-state tuition so thousands of students can pay a fair price to go to college or university in our home state,” he said.
To counter Negron’s action, Sen. Jack Latvala spearheaded a procedural maneuver on April 21 to amend the tuition equity provision to education-related Senate Bills 950, 1292, 1394 and 1666, according to the Miami Herald.
The fact that 20 senators already co-sponsored the bill, and that three out of the four committees charged with discussing it voted in favor indicates that securing enough votes for the bill’s passage on the Senate floor would not have been a problem had Sen. Negron decided to vote.
“We have never come this close to passing this bill, so it’s essential to keep building the pressure,” Galaz said.
According to the Miami Herald, if the bill were to get enough votes to become law, then it would save undocumented students approximately $15,000 in out-of-state tuition fees, which are three times the in-state tuition fees.
Among the reasons that Negron listed in his defense of refusing to cast a vote on SB1400 is the cost of implementing the bill, which he suggested might affect adversely limited state funds.
Sen. Jack Latvala reacted by declaring the state does indeed have enough money to contribute to the bill’s implementation.[pullquote]
“We have been waiting for the past 10 years for in-state tuition so thousands of students can pay a fair price to go to college or university in our home state,” said Claudio Galaz, president of Students Working for Equal Rights.[/pullquote]
Last month in the House of Representatives, where Rep. Jeanette Núñez sponsored the sister bill HB851, the bill passed with an 81-33 vote.
Other students joined in to voice their opinions.
“It’s not fair,” said Nicolas Wulff, a senior political science major and member of SWER. “Students who will qualify for in-state tuition under the bill are those who’ve contributed to the state in taxes. As such, I believe they should be allowed to pay in-state tuition.”
Although Latvala’s procedural maneuver suggests hope, Sen. Gaetz still possesses the ability to hamper the provision’s advancement.
A bill that sustains substantial modifications in the Appropriations Committee can be sent back by the president for further hearings, which were no longer able to be made after April 22.
Some see this as an issue that may get the state into legal trouble.
“If [the bill] dies in committee, I think the Legislature is opening itself up to a potential court challenge,” said Ediberto Román, professor at the College of Law. “The state, through its institutions, is not allowing what its laws already provide for. Individuals are being denied rights that the state already says they have.”
According to Galaz, members of SWER and other pro-immigrant groups have travelled to Tallahassee to put pressure on central politicians. Members are now focused on getting Sen. Gaetz to put forth the bill on the Senate floor, where enough votes for the bill’s passage rest.
“We can’t give up,” said Galaz.
students interested in learning more about the fight for tuition equity in Florida can e-mail Claudio Galaz at Claudiog@swer.org.
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