Editor’s Note: One of the authors of this piece was once employed at The Daily Texan. The Daily Texan does not agree with the quotes and assertions made by the sources in the article.
According to a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board representative, some non-citizen students who were previously eligible for in-state tuition will no longer be eligible for state financial aid programs.
In order to earn in-state tuition and/or state financial aid, the student must now show proof of their legal presence at the institution where they are enrolling, according to the amended affidavit that was made public on July 18.
The Texas Dream Act was overturned by a federal judge in June, which prompted the modification. If they met certain requirements for Texas residency and signed the prior affidavit stating their intention to apply for permanent residency as soon as possible, students who were not eligible for federal financial aid—including those without legal status—could fill out the Texas Application for State Financial Aid.
According to a statement from Jennifer Love, associate vice provost for the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid and Texas One Stop, the TASFA application procedure is unaltered, and schools will still use a student’s residency status to evaluate eligibility.
On July 11, the University sent a letter asking non-citizen or non-permanent resident students who had previously been eligible for in-state tuition and financial aid to provide proof of their legal presence.
Like all other non-resident students, students who are reclassified as non-residents will only be eligible for non-resident rewards, according to Love.
Financial assistance options for qualifying students include grants like the Texas Advance Commitment Award, the Texas Public Education Grant, and the Towards Excellence, Access, and Success, or TEXAS, Grant. Based on the board’s data, $598,758 was given to University affidavit students in 2024 as part of the TEXAS Grant.
Amy, an incoming junior and positive asylum applicant, will be referred to under a pseudonym out of concern for her safety, but not all students who are eligible for in-state tuition or TASFA are undocumented.
Amy, who came to the United States alone in 2020, completed a public high school in Texas and handled the TASFA application process without any help. They claimed to have obtained a job authorization document, but Amy is still awaiting the processing of their asylum application.
According to public data received from the board, the total amount of aid awarded to University students who proved their Texas residency by an affidavit was $4.4 million in 2024, with $1.7 million coming directly from the University.
Regarding the internal timeframe for finishing residency reclassification decisions for affected students and whether this will affect the processing time for students who are still eligible for TASFA, a University representative declined to comment.
In an email, a board spokesperson affirmed that the agency is legally obligated to grant TASFA access. In a letter to institution presidents dated July 18, Commissioner Wynn Rosser stated that the agency was currently revising its regulations to conform to the court judgment terminating the Texas Dream Act.
Amy receives about $30,000 in financial aid annually to assist with living expenses and tuition. However, Amy stated that they do not have information on their residency classification and that their TASFA has not been completed after getting the letter asking documentation of lawful presence just two days prior to the deadline of July 24.
Amy stated, “The only reason I’m here at UT is because TASFA was the only way I could go to school.” Yes, they could have accepted me, but the only way I could have done so was if I couldn’t afford it because I’m an immigrant, an only child, or someone whose parents are still in their native country.
