“Texas directs public universities to identify undocumented students” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Texas is asking public colleges and universities to identify which of their students are living in the country illegally so they can start paying out-of-state tuition, as required by a court ruling earlier this month.

In a letter to college presidents last week, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner Wynn Rosser said undocumented students who have been paying in-state tuition will need to see tuition adjustments for the fall semester. A spokesperson for the agency said it has no plans to provide further guidance on how schools can go about identifying undocumented students.

“The real lack of legal clarity just leaves institutions again having to come up with their own process,” said Kasey Corpus, the southern policy and advocacy manager of Young Invincibles, a group that advocates for policies that benefit young adults in the state.

Undocumented students who have been living in Texas for some time lost their eligibility for in-state tuition soon after the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state over the Texas Dream Act, a 2001 state law that allowed those students to qualify for the lower tuition rates at public universities. The state quickly asked the court to side with the feds and find that the law was unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor did just that, blocking the law.

It’s unclear if any Texas university already knows which of its students are undocumented. Students do not have to provide proof of citizenship or disclose their Social Security number to apply for college. And colleges rarely track the citizenship status of students who are not here on a visa, said Melanie Gottlieb, the executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

“There is not a simple way for an institution to determine if a person is undocumented,” said Gottlieb. “It’s a challenging question.”

The Texas Tribune asked several schools in the state earlier this month whether they collect this information. The University of Houston System said its applicants do not have to share their immigration status. Other schools — including Texas A&M University, Lone Star College, the University of Texas at Dallas and UT-Rio Grande Valley — did not respond to the question. Some said they were still trying to understand the ruling and what it means for their students.

The state already maintains some higher education databases that likely include undocumented students attending Texas schools. The Texas Dream Act required students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents applying for in-state tuition to sign an affidavit saying they would seek lawful permanent residency as soon as they become eligible. Undocumented students have often applied for state financial aid since they do not qualify for federal financial aid.

Gottlieb said getting information from students about their immigration status will likely change the landscape of applying to college. It’s unclear what documentation schools might ask students to provide as proof of immigration status and who will have access to that information. The coordinating board did not respond to a request for comment about how this information will be protected.

Federal privacy law prohibits schools from sharing students’ data, including their immigration status, with federal immigration authorities, said Miriam Feldblum, the executive director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Those privacy protections cannot be waived on the basis of a students’ undocumented status alone.

Before schools take away a student’s in-state tuition eligibility over their immigration status, the student should also get a chance to appeal in a due process hearing with school officials and explain their circumstances, Feldblum said. For example, their immigration status may have changed without the school’s knowledge, she said.

As schools scramble to figure out what compliance looks like, thousands of students are still wondering what the directive will mean for them.

“That just leaves a lot of students in limbo,” Corpus said. “How are they going to come up with a way to find scholarships or grants or come up with that money to make up the difference if they are going to be held to those rule changes? Or for some students, they might be thinking, Am I going to have to totally just switch schools or drop out?”

Jessica Priest contributed to this report.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Lone Star College, Texas A&M University, University of Texas – Dallas and University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O’Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer.

Get tickets.

TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/23/texas-undocumented-students-in-state-tuition/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

The post Texas directs universities to ID undocumented students appeared first on feeds.texastribune.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents a factual and balanced report on the recent Texas policy requiring public colleges to identify undocumented students for tuition adjustments. It quotes multiple perspectives, including state officials enforcing a court ruling, advocates concerned about the impact on students, and education experts discussing privacy and procedural challenges. The language remains neutral, focusing on the legal and administrative aspects without advocating for a particular ideological stance. While it highlights the concerns of affected students, it does so through reporting rather than editorializing, maintaining an overall centrist tone.

SUMMARY: The ACLU is preparing to sue Texas over Senate Bill 12, recently signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, which takes effect in September. The law focuses on expanding “parental rights” in public and charter schools but includes controversial provisions banning references to race, gender identity, or sexual orientation in school activities, prohibiting social gender transition support, and banning LGBTQ+ student clubs. The ACLU and coalition members argue SB 12 discriminates against students, harms inclusivity, and restricts discussions on diversity and identity. The law also mandates parental consent for medical treatments and establishes grievance policies and increased parental oversight in school operations.

Read the full article

The post ACLU, student group to sue Texas over expansive 'parental rights' bill appeared first on www.kxan.com

SUMMARY: U.S. B2 bombers conducted a major airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend, dropping bunker buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles. President Trump warned Iran against retaliation while affirming the strike’s impact on Iran’s underground sites. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the U.S. action as historic and vital for the alliance. In the U.S., Republican leaders largely supported the attack as necessary to counter Iran’s nuclear threat, while Democrats expressed concern over potential Iranian retaliation risking American lives. Protests erupted nationwide opposing the strike, warning of war and calling the attack illegal. Iran vows to respond on its own terms.

The U.S. attacks came after a week of open conflict between Israel and Iran, sparked by Israel’s sudden barrage of attacks against Iran’s nuclear and military structure.

FOX 7 Austin brings you breaking news, weather, and local stories out of Central #Texas as well as fun segments from Good Day Austin, the best from our video vault archives, and exclusive shows like the Good Day Austin Round-Up and CrimeWatch.

Source