On a 84-32 vote Friday, the GOP-led Florida Legislature passed a measure that would allow children of undocumented immigrants to be eligible for instate tuition.
The legislation, HB 851, which cleared the Senate on Thursday, now heads to Gov. Rick Scott who said he looked forward to signing it.
“I look forward to signing this bill,” Scott said. “We’re going to make sure a college education, a university education is affordable for all our students. Everybody has a shot at the dream.”
The bill’s passage was a marked departure on the part of Scott and GOP legislators. House Democrats made up the majority of votes for its passage.
Under the “Dreamers” bill, children of undocumented immigrants would qualify for instate tuition if they attended high school three years in Florida. The average cost of non-resident tuition is $21,434 annually. This compares with an average in-state tuition of $6,318.
