Some of Florida’s top politicians are on board with the notion of eliminating in-state college tuition for students who are undocumented. NBC 6’s Steve Litz reports
First, she advocated for it, and now she’s politicking against it.
Florida Lieutenant Gov. Jeanette Nuñez no longer thinks students who are undocumented should receive the benefit of in-state college tuition.
In an interview with NBC 6's sister station Telemundo 51, Nuñez talked about the country’s immigration challenges, and how the state can no longer afford to accommodate students who are undocumented. She believes they should pay out-of-state tuition.
State Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. is of the same opinion.
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“Times have changed, I think unfortunately the Biden Administration has created a crisis,” Diaz said. “We have 17,000 new students in the state of Florida in our K-12 system that we are serving and that the taxpayers of Florida are paying for.”
Diaz and Nuñez appeared at Dante B. Facell Elementary school in West Kendall Tuesday, announcing the state’s Space Art contest.
Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade were urged to submit their artwork. Twelve finalists, two from each grade, will be treated to a trip to Kennedy Space Center.
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Two grand prize winners will have their art blasted into space on a SpaceX rocket.
While serving in the State House, Nuñez represented the Miami area and successfully sponsored a bill in favor of in-state tuition for undocumented students.
Now she sides with Gov. Ron Desantis and other Republican lawmakers in possibly repealing that option.
In Tallahassee last week, students lobbied their elected officials to leave the law intact, as some are looking at steep increases in their educational costs.
“I currently pay around $3,000 a semester and maybe $6,000 a year,” said an FIU student, who is currently undocumented. “That would triple, so I already pay for transportation, room and board and meals. That would be just impossible for me to pay a year.”
The state legislature is considering stricter anti-illegal immigration laws. And nixing in-state tuition for undocumented students is not included, but like many bills in the making in Tallahassee, that language could change.
