Bill Aims to Give Children of Undocumented Immigrants In-State College Tuition

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- An 18-year-old student from Haiti makes an emotional appeal to state lawmakers to change a law to help him go to college.

Renato Lherisson was born in Miami, and is an American citizen, but his parents were undocumented immigrants.

Lherisson was raised in Haiti but when an earthquake devastated the country in 2010, he came to Florida. Renato attended International School of Broward in Hollywood and did well. He graduated with a 3.5 grade point average and earned high SAT scores.

But when he tried to enroll in college, state law required him to pay out-of-state tuition since his parents were undocumented. Those rates are about three times higher and he can't afford that.

"I want to go to college in Florida. I want to work in Florida. And I don't believe I should go to any other state to get a good education. I want to go to college in Florida."

Now Democratic lawmakers are pushing a bill that would allow students like Renato to attend college at in-state tuition rates.

Rep. Reggie Fullwood, D-Jacksonville, is one of the bill sponsors.

"Isn't this supposed to be what we're about? Trying to provide opportunities for our residents, for our kids to attend college in an affordable way? So we're going to go fight and make this an issue because there are a lot of innocent people who are being hurt because of actions of our state so we have to fix that."

Rep. Hazelle Rogers, D-Lauderdale Lakes, said current state law is unfair.

"I believe that if a child is of an immigrant parent but yet that child is hard working graduates from public school, they should attend college. No law should punish a child for the work of their parents."

The bill has not been heard in a committee yet and has not been assigned for a hearing at this time, so Fullwood and Rogers are urging people to contact their lawmakers.

First Coast News