Why California might preserve in-state tuition rates for community college students who get deported

As the Trump administration works to end in-state tuition for undocumented students across the United States, California lawmakers are weighing a bill to preserve access to in-state tuition for community college students who get deported.

The bill would enable deported community college students to continue their coursework online while paying in-state tuition rates, until January 2030. Community college students who leave the U.S. because of the political climate and DACA recipients who are denied re-entry would also be eligible. If students manage to get back to the U.S. lawfully, they would be able to access in-state tuition when they return.

“Deportation should not erase a student’s dreams of higher education,” said Assemblymember José Luis Solache Jr., a Democrat who represents communities from Huntington Park to Lakewood and is one of the bill’s co-authors. Assemblymember Mike Fong of the San Gabriel Valley introduced the bill, and Assemblymember Mark González, who represents Koreatown, Boyle Heights and Montebello, is a co-author.

“Over the last few months, on an almost daily basis, we have seen reports of individuals [who] were detained by federal agents and deported,” Fong said at a Senate education committee hearing this summer. “Due to the nature of the arrests, some individuals have decided to leave on their own, to avoid the physical threat. [The bill] would allow our community college students who leave the country, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, the opportunity to continue their education.”

“This bill is very narrow,” he emphasized, solely applicable to undocumented students who are enrolled in community college at the time of departure or removal.

What does the bill accomplish?

Undocumented college students in the U.S. are racially and ethnically diverse. In California, there are an estimated 100,000 undocumented students, who make up a small percentage of the overall higher ed population. The majority of undocumented students are enrolled in one of the state’s 116 community colleges.

Because undocumented students don’t qualify for financial aid, they rely on state funding, scholarships and their wages to pay for school. The law that allows them to access financial aid if they meet certain criteria often serves as a lifeline.

For instance: To attend Long Beach City College during the 2025-26 academic year, California residents are expected to pay about $1,556 in tuition and fees. Nonresidents will pay $11,440 dollars. For students who are forced or pressured to leave the country — particularly to places where they’d have less earning power — paying for California’s in-state tuition could pose a significant challenge. Paying the out-of-state rate could be impossible.

The Trump administration maintains it’s unlawful to offer in-state tuition to undocumented students, as it gives them an advantage over out-of-state students who are citizens.

Fong’s bill has been endorsed by educator and labor unions across the state, as well as the California Community Colleges system.

“From our perspective, this is about being inclusive and making sure that we are supporting all our students,” said Chris Ferguson, the system’s executive vice chancellor of finance and strategic initiatives.

Jessie Hernández-Reyes, director of policy and advocacy at the Campaign for College Opportunity, said the bill “signals a commitment to supporting undocumented students,” noting that, if students manage to return to the U.S. with authorization, they would not only have access to in-state tuition, but also be encouraged to apply for state-based financial aid.

As Fong’s bill makes its way through the California legislature, the Trump administration is working to end in-state tuition for undocumented students across the country. Under the president’s direction, the U.S. Department of Justice has sued several states that offer in-state tuition, saying this effort is meant to “ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment.”

In an email statement, María Morales, statewide policy director at Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, noted that “undocumented residents contribute billions in taxes to California’s economy and account for nearly 5% of the state’s GDP.”

“Keeping [undocumented] students on track to graduate ensures they can continue fueling our workforce and strengthening our economy, benefiting all Californians,” she said.

Why does it matter?

Christopher Sanchez, a lobbyist for the Central American Resource Center, was among dozens of organizations that showed up to back the bill at this summer’s senate hearing. The immigrant rights group, known as CARECEN, was founded by Salvadoran refugees and human rights activists in the 1980s. It provides legal services to students at Cal State universities and community colleges in L.A., Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

Under the Trump administration, Sanchez said, “we are seeing long-standing legal pathways and immigration statuses that offer protections being stripped away from those who were once eligible for them, which has made the immigrant community more vulnerable to deportation, especially those who are in California's community colleges.”

He said it’s important to maintain benefits for students through possible interruptions.

“While many may think that immigration ends after deportation, that's not true,” he added. “On a case by case basis, many immigrants may seek to adjust their status abroad to return to the United States, or to challenge our deportation case because they've been wrongfully deported.”

What's already changed?

Alouette Cervantes-Salazar coordinates East Los Angeles College’s Dream Resource Center, which provides support and services for undocumented students; DACA and TPS recipients; and students in mixed-status families.

The Trump administration has already transformed campus life; she said “quite a bit” of students who used to take all their classes in person have decided to complete this semester online.

For some, online coursework has become preferable because it enables them to juggle school and an increased workload, Cervantes-Salazar added. For others, the fear of getting to and from campus amid roving immigration patrols was the decisive factor.

The bill to preserve in-state tuition, she said, “gives our students some hope.”