What would Prop 308 do?
Prop 308 would enable any person who has lived in Arizona for two or more years and graduated from an Arizona high school to attend Arizona colleges regardless of their immigration status. Dreamers – Arizona high school graduates who came to our state as children without documentation – are our students. They deserve the same opportunities as other high school graduates.
Prop 308 is fairness for all high school students.
Each year, college is much less affordable for more than 3,600 Arizona high school graduates who do not qualify for in-state tuition at Arizona state schools.1 College-bound Dreamers who came to Arizona as children without documentation are currently treated as out-of-state students who must pay triple the in-state tuition rate, even though they graduated from our high schools. Prop 308 would let Dreamers pay the in-state tuition rate. There is no “cutting in line” and they must pay the same as other Arizona students.
Who qualifies?
Anyone who has lived in Arizona for at least two years and graduated from an Arizona high school would be charged the same in-state tuition rates at the state’s public colleges and universities as their fellow Arizona high school graduates. More than 3,600 Arizona students would benefit from an in-state tuition policy every year.1
Economic benefits for Arizona:
Keeping Arizona’s prospective college graduates in Arizona can only help grow our state’s economy, granting access to in-state tuition to all Arizona graduates is an important step toward meeting critical workforce needs and would greatly benefit the state’s economy.
Research highlights the crucial role that student Dreamers play in Arizona’s economy, including in some of the state’s fastest-growing and most in-demand fields, like healthcare, education, and the skilled trades. Still, the state is facing critical workforce shortages across the skills and education spectrum.2
No new taxes:
The conservative state budget review committee noted that this proposal would have ZERO impact on the state budget; that means it will cost taxpayers nothing extra to do this and the state’s economy will benefit.
$617.9 Million:
$617.9 Million Overall spending power for all of Arizona’s DACA eligible population. Earning a college degree by paying in-state tuition would boost the earnings of Arizona’s Dreamers by more than $28 million annually.1
20 States Have passed in-state tuition for Dreamers:
Conservative-led states like Florida, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, are among 20 states that have passed in-state tuition for Dreamers and have an advantage over Arizona in the search for top-notch employees.
Prop. 308 reflects Arizona values:
Arizonans want to work hard, follow the rules, get a good job and reach their potential. Together, we can ensure all of our high school graduates have a fair shot at becoming productive, tax-paying members of society, no matter what they look like or where they were born. By setting in-state tuition fees for Dreamers, we can keep them in Arizona, the only home they’ve known.
