APOPKA, Fla. — As the push to end in-state tuition for undocumented students continues in Tallahassee, a group of students right here is Central Florida is taking a stand against it.
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They gathered for a mock graduation in Apopka on Monday. “This bill doesn’t just hurt students. It hurts families, and cycles of poverty crush dreams. Deprives our communities of thoughts and talent,” said Saul Rosa with the Hope Community Center.
With their mouths covered with tapes,13 students took to the podium with a message to share.
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“I was told by my mentor that myself, like any fellow dreamers, could not receive any federal help for higher education,” said Erica Castillo, who took the stage representing her sister, a dreamer. “I had no income, time, or knowledge of any resources available to me.”
With the support of the Hope Community Center, they represent the faces of the Florida Dreamers – those who came to America too young and are children of undocumented immigrants.
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Governor Rick Scott signed House Bill 851 in 2014, allowing undocumented students, both with and without DACA, to pay in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities by using out-of-state tuition waivers. The move helped countless dreamers pursue a college degree.
“Without this waiver, I would have to take one class each semester to keep afloat. This would take about 6 years to earn a bachelor’s degree,” said Castillo.
As immigration takes center stage in Tallahassee, however, Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing back on that waiver. “That is a benefit that you are rewarding someone for coming here illegally,” said DeSantis during a press conference on January 13th. “No more excuses on this - we must end all excuses to come to Florida.”
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Florida ranks fifth as the country’s highest state with DACA recipients – with more than 70-thousand dreamers as of 2023, according to the National Immigration Forum. “To everyone who’s here today, this is a movement. And it’s fueled by hope, solidarity, and action,” Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, Executive Director.
Governor DeSantis had previously tried to end the waiver, but the move failed before the legislature. The debate should be back during this special session.
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