Nebraska Agrees To End In-State Tuition For Undocumented Students
Nebraska agreed this week to end in-state tuition for undocumented students under a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, a move that will raise costs for affected students and their families. Fox News reported the deal.
State officials said the settlement resolves a dispute over Nebraska policies that had allowed some undocumented students to pay resident rates. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in-state tuition and fees were $10,108 for 2023-24, while out-of-state undergraduates paid $27,748, highlighting the potential cost shift for those students.
The episode traces back to an April 2025 presidential executive order directing the Department of Justice to challenge state policies that grant in-state tuition to undocumented residents. The DOJ then sued states including Texas, Oklahoma and Illinois and won or settled similar cases in Texas, Oklahoma and Kentucky, creating pressure for other states to change course.
The legal basis is a 1996 federal law that bars states from giving postsecondary education benefits to undocumented immigrants based on state residence unless citizens get the same benefit. Public reaction online split sharply, with some users calling the move cruel given students who pay taxes, and others saying subsidized rates should be reserved for citizens. Questions remain about how many Nebraska students will be affected and the fiscal impact on families and the university system.
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📊 Relevant Data
Section 505 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 prohibits states from providing any postsecondary education benefit to undocumented immigrants on the basis of residence within the state unless a U.S. citizen or national is eligible for the same benefit without regard to residence. ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf)) ([U.S. Government Publishing Office](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/pdf/PLAW-104publ208.pdf))
Public Law 104–208 — U.S. Government Publishing Office
At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the estimated annual tuition and fees for the 2023-2024 academic year were $10,108 for in-state undergraduates and $27,748 for out-of-state undergraduates. ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024)) ([UNL Financial Aid](https://financialaid.unl.edu/cost/estimated-cost-attendance/2023-2024))
2023-2024 Estimated Cost of Attendance — UNL Financial Aid
Nationally, approximately 510,027 undocumented students were enrolled in higher education as of 2026. ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data)) ([Higher Ed Immigration Portal](https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/national/national-data))
National Data on Immigrant Students — Higher Ed Immigration Portal
📌 Key Facts
- DOJ sued Nebraska on Tuesday over its in-state tuition and financial aid benefits for undocumented students.
- Later the same day, DOJ and Nebraska jointly filed a proposed consent decree to permanently bar enforcement of those state provisions.
- Nebraska’s policy has been in place since 2006; DOJ says this is its eighth such lawsuit and that it has already won similar cases in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.
- The consent decree would end reduced in-state tuition and certain state financial aid for undocumented students once approved by the court.
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