On Dec. 10, Eastern Michigan University’s Board of Regents approved new in-state tuition guidelines for undocumented students.
These students can now acquire in-state tuition fees through the Come Home to Eastern – Come Home to Michigan tuition award that grants the opportunity to pay in-state rates to students whose parents are EMU alumni but live out of state, Undocumented students can also obtain in-state fees by attending a Michigan high school, serving in the military or being a resident of Michigan.
Students who attended a Michigan high school for three years and received their GED also qualify for these changes.
Student Body President Desmond Miller said he believes EMU does its very best to keep tuition rates low for students, and he thinks this approval will benefit students who are residents of Michigan who do not receive much government assistance for school.
“Some Michigan residents who are undocumented may already have a hard time paying tuition without receiving government assistance and paying out of state tuition,” Miller said. “The policy change will make it a little easier for those individuals to pay for tuition and receive a higher education.”
According to Geoff Larcom, EMU Executive Director of Media Relations, numerous student body leaders have argued about this issue on behalf of un-documented students for a while. He believes these changes show how diverse EMU is.
“Eastern is a school of opportunity,” Larcom said. “These changes reflect how diverse EMU is.”
Maya Brown, EMU junior and business management major, said she just became aware of these changes for undocumented students.
“I didn’t know Eastern could afford to be so generously flexible like that,” Brown said. “I didn’t think they [EMU] could afford to give undocumented students the same financial benefits as documented students. I’m glad to hear this.”
Miller said he feels that social media outlets are the best way to inform soon-to-be high school graduates of these changes.
Geoff Larcom believes press releases and news outlets will have a positive impact on informing current and future students of the alterations made to the in-state tuition guidelines.
