NASHVILLE (AP) — Legislation that would make undocumented students eligible for in-state tuition is advancing in the Senate.
The measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Todd Gardenhire of Chattanooga passed the Senate Education Committee 6-2 Wednesday evening. A similar measure was withdrawn from the same committee last year by Gardenhire because it didn't have the votes to pass.
Under the proposal, a student must have attended a school in Tennessee for the four years immediately prior to graduation from high school, or have obtained a GED awarded by a state-approved institution or organization. The student also has to meet certain standards, such as an overall 3.0 grade point average.
Currently, such students pay nearly three times as much for higher education — the out-of-state rate — even if they've lived in Tennessee for most of their lives.