LINCOLN — Legislators in Nebraska held a lengthy public hearing on two bills (LB 1061 and LB 870) that would repeal parts of a longstanding state law allowing certain undocumented immigrant students who grew up and graduated in Nebraska to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. At the hearing, far more people spoke in opposition than in support, with opponents arguing that ending the in-state tuition benefit would harm students who were brought to the U.S. as children and have deep ties to the state, while supporters of the repeal said taxpayer subsidies for out-of-state tuition are unfair.

Critics of the repeal also highlighted concerns about access to higher education and the impact on Nebraska’s workforce and communities if students face significantly higher tuition costs. Proponents of maintaining the current policy stressed that it helped provide opportunities for students who contribute to the state economically and socially, and urged lawmakers to preserve the existing in-state tuition provision rather than roll it back.

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