Tuition equity bill passes Oregon House

On February 22, the Oregon House approved a bill that will allow undocumented children to obtain in-state tuition at a four-year college in Oregon after graduating high school.

The bill, HB 2787, will grant in-state tuition to undocumented students who have lived in the U.S. for five years; graduated from an Oregon high school after studying there for at least three years; been accepted to an Oregon university; and shown an intention to become a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Oregon House Republicans unsuccessfully proposed an alternative that would have required that the bill expire in 2016 and would have limited the undocumented students to those who are in the U.S. by July 1.

The bill now moves to the Senate. The Oregonian reports that the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee will most likely consider the bill in March.