New law will qualify illegal immigrants for free college in Minnesota

A new law will allow illegal immigrants to apply for free college tuition in the Minnesota State and University of Minnesota systems.

The Minnesota Dream Act was passed in 2013 to allow illegal immigrants to be eligible to receive in-state tuition and financial aid at colleges in the Minnesota State and University of Minnesota system. Filling out a Minnesota Dream Act application will allow illegal immigrant students to be automatically considered for Minnesota’s new free college program, the North Star Promise. Citizen students are also eligible for the North Star Program, given that they fit the criteria.

Once a part of the program, students must comply with good academic standards. The bill requires students to maintain a grade point average above a C and comply with the college’s requirements. 

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Students who come from households that make more than $80,000 a year or attend private schools are not eligible for the North Star Promise.

“We want to make sure that when we’re expanding opportunities for everybody, we’re doing it for all Minnesotans, regardless of background, regardless of their documentation status,” Senate Higher Education Chairman Omar Fateh told Axios.

The bill passed by six votes in the Minnesota House and only four in the Senate before Democratic Governor Tim Walz signed the bill in May.

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This program will go into effect during the 2024-25 school year.

In its first year, the bill is expected to cost taxpayers approximately $117 million. After the first year, the program will cost just under $50 million to maintain.

This bill fits a trend in Minnesota’s government, which has recently allowed illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses and access publicly funded healthcare in the state.