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Colorado Lawmakers Pass Tuition Bill For Undocumented Students

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A measure to give in-state college tuition to undocumented Colorado high school students cleared the state legislature today and is on its way to the Governor for his signature.

The bill aims to make college affordable for students who’ve lived in Colorado most of their lives, but whose parents brought them into the country illegally. Bill sponsor Representative Crisanta Duran (D-Denver) says the students are just as American as anyone else.

“We’re making history and we’re making a very meaningful step forward so these undocumented students can have a better life and have access to the American dream,” said Duran.

This marks the 7th time Democrats have tried to pass this type of bill. This time it got bi-partisan support. Students cheered, hugged, and clapped when it finally passed.

To qualify for in-state tuition a student must have attended a Colorado high school for a minimum of three years, graduate, be accepted to college, and apply for citizenship.

Bente Birkeland is an award-winning journalist who joined Colorado Public Radio in August 2018 after a decade of reporting on the Colorado state capitol for the Rocky Mountain Community Radio collaborative and ʹַ. In 2017, Bente was named Colorado Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and she was awarded with a National Investigative Reporting Award by SPJ a year later.
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