Educational “When,” “Where,” and “How” Implications of In-State Resident Tuition Policies for Latino Undocumented Immigrants

Stephanie Potochnick, University of Missouri, Columbia

This paper presents an analysis of the effects of in-state resident tuition (IRT) policies on undocumented immigrant’s college decisions by providing an assessment of if, when, and where students enroll, how they finance their education, and the type of credentials they obtain. We identify effects based on differences in pre- and post-policy outcomes between those covered and not covered by the policy, net of the educational trends of citizens, and accounting for variation across states and time. Using data from two large nationally representative data sources and multiple citizen comparison groups, we find that IRT policies not only affect whether students’ enroll in college and time of entry, but can also have implications for other key educational decisions.