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Over the summer, Texas effectively repealed a law that allowed students without legal status to pay in-state tuition. Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vazquez of member station KUT reports on how rolling back the Texas Dream Act is affecting thousands of students.
GRETA DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ, BYLINE: The first week of class was a stressful one for Mariel, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin. She's taking seven courses, hoping to graduate early. Her plan was to get two degrees, in biology and Spanish. She would be a step closer to becoming a medical doctor. But over the summer, things took a turn. In June, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas for allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. Within hours, the state of Texas conceded.
MARIEL: That was the one thing that I felt like I had was my education, that I could study here. That's the one thing that I thought that I had. Like, that would never be taken away from me.
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: Mariel asked NPR to use her first name only because she's in the country without legal status and fears deportation. She was brought to Texas from Mexico when she was 14 months old. For the first three years of college, Mariel paid in-state tuition through financial aid thanks to the Texas Dream Act. Her family still needed to come up with $13,000 per year for room and board - a big effort.
MIREYA: (Speaking Spanish).
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: Mariel's mom, Mireya, says she and her husband want a better life for their daughter. NPR also agreed to only use her first name to protect her daughter's safety.
MIREYA: (Speaking Spanish).
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: Now facing the cost of out-of-state tuition plus living expenses, the family will have to come up with close to $30,000 for the fall semester. Mariel's three siblings were born in the U.S. and are eligible for in-state tuition. Their parents wonder how they'll be able to afford Mariel's education. Barbara Hines is the former director of a program at UT Austin's law school that helps immigrants in the state.
BARBARA HINES: It affects the valedictorians. It affects the brightest kids in your school. And it really affects our economy.
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: The American Immigration Council, a pro-immigrant advocacy group, estimates that the state's economy could lose over $460 million each year as Texas phases out the Dream Act.
HINES: The business community supported in-state tuition because it leads to a qualified workforce.
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: The Texas Dream Act was the result of a bipartisan effort in 2001. More than 20 other states followed Texas' lead in making college more affordable for undocumented students. Now, the DOJ is moving beyond Texas, suing at least three other states to repeal similar laws. To Mireya's eyes, all her children are equal, but for Texas, Mariel's opportunities are limited.
MIREYA: (Speaking Spanish).
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: Mireya says she's the one who decided to bring her daughter here, and now Texas is Mariel's world.
MIREYA: (Speaking Spanish).
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: Mariel's only choice is to adjust to her new reality. She's no longer pursuing her Spanish degree. Her parents took out a $15,000 loan so she can graduate in December with a biology degree.
MARIEL: I'm happy to be back and to be able to finish my degree, but I feel a lot of guilt for making my parents pay that much.
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: Mireya took another job and Mariel's dad also increased his work hours.
MIREYA: (Speaking Spanish).
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: She won't be happy, she says, until her daughter achieves her dream.
MIREYA: (Speaking Spanish).
DIAZ GONZALEZ VAZQUEZ: For thousands of immigrant families like Mariel's, the dream of a better life in Texas hasn't disappeared, but it has become a lot more expensive.
For NPR News, I'm Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez in Austin, Texas. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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