Gov. Tony Evers was clear in his support for a bipartisan proposal to allow those enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in Wisconsin to pay in-state tuition costs at University of Wisconsin System schools.
“Yes,” Evers said plainly when asked by The Daily Cardinal whether or not he would support the proposal Thursday.
Currently, DACA recipients — undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children by their parents — are required to pay out-of-state tuition at all UW System schools, regardless of how long they’ve lived in Wisconsin.
A bipartisan proposal introduced in December would allow DACA students who have lived in the state for 12 months prior to the beginning of a class term to pay in-state tuition.
At UW-Madison, annual in-state tuition for full-time undergraduate students is nearly $30,000 cheaper than out-of-state tuition.
“We want individuals to achieve success here… to pay out-of-state tuition is an unnecessary hurdle,” bill cosponsor Rep. John Macco, R-Ledgeview, said at a press conference in December.
The proposal is part of a set of bills introduced by a group of bipartisan legislators who aim to expand access to employment and higher education for DACA recipients in Wisconsin.
The bills would allow recipients to qualify for in-state tuition for all UW System schools, obtain professional licenses issued by the state and create a $250 nonrefundable biennial tax credit to offset the $495 status renewal fees DACA recipients must pay every two years.
DACA was introduced in 2012 under the Obama administration to grant undocumented youth meeting certain requirements temporary permission to stay in the U.S. The program has since faced numerous legal challenges and no new recipients have been approved in the program since 2017.
Nationally, over 578,000 people across the U.S. are active DACA recipients. Nearly 5,800 currently reside in Wisconsin.
“We have to allow these folks to function here in the United States, in the state of Wisconsin, to the maximum,” Macco said.
Other bill authors include Sen. Jesse James, R-Altoona; Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee; and Rep. Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay.
Previously, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, did not respond to questions on if he would schedule the legislation for a vote, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
The proposal will have to pass through the Senate and Assembly before Evers signs it.
