Florida college students are in Tallahassee this week to advocate for several policies state legislators are considering this session.Lawmakers are moving on a number of issues, including a proposal that would waive out-of-state fees for undocumented students.
Carlo Fassi, president of the University of North Florida’s Student Government Association joined Melissa Ross via telephone from Tallahassee to discuss the issues.
"They're not going anywhere, and they've gone through our education system," Fassi said of the children of undocumented immigrants who would be affected by the in-state tuition proposal. "It's only correct to allow them to receive a higher education."
Fassi said that while the issue may seem more relevant to students in South Florida, the issue affects students across the state.
"The bill does not only include in-state tuition rates for undocumented students, the bill also talks about tuition in itself," he said, describing other parts of the bill that would roll back the amount in which tuition can be raised annually and also eliminates a statute that grants an immediate adjustment in tuition based on the rate of inflation.
"We're hoping that these issues in this bill will drive senators to pass it," he said, noting that the bill still has three committees to go through before coming to the Senate floor.
Students are also lobbying for the "Hard Hats for Higher Education" initiative—a request that lawmakers move to invest more in higher education facilities across the state.
You can follow Melissa Ross on Twitter @MelissainJax.
