Herriman, UT - October 22, 2025 - In a timely deep dive for higher education stakeholders, EDsmart's new report quantifies a $245 million annual taxpayer-funded subsidy for in-state tuition to undocumented students across 18 states, averaging $1.21 per taxpayer and equivalent to tuition for 15,003 legal students.
Drawing exclusively on the U.S. Department of Education's 2023-24 College Scorecard data from 5,648 institutions, USCIS DACA recipient statistics, U.S. Census Bureau 2024 population estimates, and National Immigration Law Center policy records, the analysis uncovers hidden enrollment barriers and opportunity costs that could reshape debates on tuition equity and institutional funding.
With Connecticut's per-taxpayer burden hitting $6.52—nearly 5x the national average—and stark variations in states like New York ($1.34), Utah ($1.13), Washington ($0.96), Colorado ($1.12), and Massachusetts ($1.04), this data-driven exposé arrives as states grapple with post-repeal fiscal relief in Texas ($62.3M saved) and Florida ($5.1M saved).
"Higher ed leaders will find this report's state-specific breakdowns and 15% enrollment modeling—backed by UC Davis research—essential for unpacking these hidden subsidies," said Tyson Stevens, EDsmart's lead researcher and analyst. "Our methodology, with 85% external verification from sources like Brookings Institution and Migration Policy Institute, reveals how costs embed in budgets, from California's $142.2M (58% of total) to Vermont's $0 due to negligible tuition gaps."
Exclusive insights include:
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State-Specific Burdens: Granular data on top impacts, including
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New York ($27.2M total, 6,750 students affected)
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Utah ($3.7M, 450 students)
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Washington ($7.4M, 2,700 students)
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Colorado ($6.4M, 900 students)
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Massachusetts ($7.2M, 1,800 students)
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Policy Flashpoints: Detailed timelines of 2025 Texas and Florida repeals, verified via state legislative records and Governing.com, projecting "high-risk" states like Oregon ($8.0M) and Nevada ($5.1M) for scrutiny, with implications for DACA-eligible enrollment drops.
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Economic Trade-Offs: Side-by-side arguments on workforce gains versus fairness concerns, sourced from Brookings and Migration Policy Institute, plus visuals of cumulative 20-year costs reaching $4.9B.
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Actionable Data Hooks: Per-institution median tuition gaps, student impact estimates (e.g., 27,000 in California), and alternatives like funding 4,083 new faculty positions at $60K salaries.
Access the full report at EDsmart.org/newsroom/245m-hidden-tuition-cost-undocumented-students for in-depth review. This analysis fills a critical gap in investigative higher ed reporting, offering verified, publication-ready claims to fuel discussions on equity, budgets, and immigration's campus ripple effects.
About EDsmart
EDsmart reviews publicly available data to produce independent ranking assessments of various educational programs and student guides and resources. The site is regularly updated by a committed team of writers and researchers who produce college rankings and resources to help prospective and current college students get into, pay for, and thrive at the college of their choice.
Media Contact
Company Name: EDsmart LLC
Contact Person: Tyson Stevens
Email: Send Email
City: Herriman
State: UT
Country: United States
Website: https://www.edsmart.org/
