In 2014, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill (H.B) 851 with overwhelming bipartisan support which allows students, who came to the US with their parents as young children (often called Dreamers) to have the same benefit of pay in-tuition rates as their citizen classmates at state colleges and universities by using an out-of-state tuition waivers.
Save Florida's In-State Tuition
Recently there has been discussion in Tallahassee that would jeopardize in state tuition access for Florida Dreamers. Doing so would harm many individuals who have known no other home but Florida and damage the future of Florida's economy.
4 years old
average age of arrival to Florida among TheDream.US FL Scholars
$1.4 Billion
was paid in taxes by Florida’s Dreamer residents in 2019.
+$27,000
additional earnings for a college educated person
Save Florida's In-State Tuition
Recently there has been discussion in Tallahassee that would jeopardize in state tuition access for Florida Dreamers. Doing so would harm many individuals who have known no other home but Florida and damage the future of Florida's economy.
$1.4 Billion
was paid in taxes by Florida’s Dreamer residents in 2019.
4 years old
average age of arrival to Florida among TheDream.US FL Scholars
+$27,000
additional earnings for a college educated person
What is Florida’s In-State Tuition Waiver for Dreamers?
Waiver Requirements:
- Attend a secondary school in Florida for at least 3 consecutive years before graduation;
- Apply for enrollment in an institution of higher education within 24 months after high school graduation; and
- Submit an official Florida high school transcript as evidence of attendance & graduation.
Read more about the requirements here.
Comparison of In-State vs. Out-of-State Tuition
FAU
In-State Tuition: $5,816
Out-State Tuition: $20,192
FIU
In-State Tuition: $6,566
Out-State Tuition: $18,964
UCF
In-State Tuition: $6,368
Out-State Tuition: $22,467
Miami Dade College
In-State Tuition: $3,117.36
Out-State Tuition: $12,863.28
Palm Beach College
In-State Tuition: $3,050
Out-State Tuition: $10,910
Valencia College
In-State Tuition: $5,328
Out-State Tuition: $19,152
Meet Our Dreamers And Their Stories
Diego
A 2022 magna cum laude graduate of the University of South Florida.
“I’m not a fan of beaches or amusement parks, but the one thing that’s kept me in Florida is the people. USF was a difficult education journey for me, but the students, staff, and faculty made it so worthwhile. In-state tuition was part of the only reason I could even obtain a higher education … eliminating the waiver would make it impossible.”
Murilo
A medical student at Nova Southeastern University KPCOM.
“If I had not been able to afford my undergraduate degree, a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Florida Atlantic University, then I would be unable to pursue this dream of becoming a physician to care and treat others. Were it not for in-state tuition, I would not have been able to afford my education … The legislation that allowed in-state tuition also was one that made me feel like I belonged in the community. I love Florida’s hard working mentality, its diversity and how those two components come together. Here, you meet people from all over the country and the world who believe in the American dream and work together alongside each other to achieve it.”
Ruben
A graduate from the University of Central Florida and plans to become a doctor.
As UCF Today wrote in a profile: “With the goal of becoming a physician one day, he knew that he had to find a way to pay for school without creating further financial burdens for his older sister and mother, who were already working hard to provide for his family. So he sought help from a high school advisor who encouraged him to apply for a scholarship from TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college access and success program for DREAMers. Through a partnership with UCF, the organization has provided funding for Mercado Santos’ tuition, along with a small stipend for books — and now he’s days away from earning his bachelor’s degree. ‘I attended UCFs Grad Walk a few weeks ago, and when I walked across the stage … it was a culmination of all the sacrifices my mom and sister have made for me,’ the biomedical sciences major says. ‘The degree may have my name, but in reality it is awarded to all three of us.’”
Helena
A Master’s degree candidate who works with autistic children.
“I am in my last semester of my Master’s of Exceptional Student Education, specializing in behavior analysis and autism. I currently work with children on the autism spectrum. I love helping them better their independence, gain self-advocacy and daily skills. I am using my hard-earned education for the better of my community. There is a waitlist of families that are in need of help but are waitlisted due to not enough staff. If I did not have the in-state tuition waiver, I would not have gotten an associate’s degree and I would have given up and felt so lost in a state that I have grown up in since I was seven.”
Cesia
A graduate of Florida International University with a degree in Computer Science, now works as an Engineering Program Manager at a Fortune 50 company.
“Early in my college journey at Florida International University, I found my passion for computer science when I served as the Director of Mangohacks – a 36-hour hackathon. I am now working at a Fortune 50 company as an engineering program manager leading a team of engineers. I would not have been able to achieve what I have today without in-state tuition and TheDream.US” Watch an award winning FIU video HERE about Cesia and the university’s support for Dreamers.
Ivan
A FIU senior, was profiled in a Miami New Times story that highlighted those affected by earlier in-state legislative proposals.
As the piece noted, “Without the out-of-state waiver, Florida International University (FIU) senior and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient Ivan Vazquez says, he wouldn’t be able to afford college. Vazquez came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 13 and attended his first two years of college in Central Florida, where he paid for classes by working as a cook. “With out-of-state tuition costs, I would never even be able to dream of going to college. It would be so detrimental, I wouldn’t be able to afford it,” he says. Vazquez pays for schooling at FIU with TheDream.US scholarship.”
Join The Campaign Today.
Inform your local community or contact your legislator to spread awareness and promote attainable access to education for Dreamers.