College Persistence among Undocumented Students at a Selective Public University: A Quantitative Case Study Analysis

Abstract

Texas House Bill 1403, which was passed in 2001, is the first in-state resident tuition (ISRT) policy to benefit undocumented students in the United States. Seven years later, the literature includes virtually no empirical evidence of the persistence patterns of students who have enrolled in postsecondary institutions as beneficiaries of the in-state resident tuition policies in Texas, and in the United States in general. This study represents one of the first research studies to provide a quantitative analysis of the persistence behavior of ISRT policy eligible students at a large selective public institution in Texas. The findings, while not generalizable to all postsecondary institutions with this population, provocatively suggest that ISRT recipients are remaining in college at rates similar to those of their Latino peers who are U.S. citizens and legal residents. The study addresses the implications of this policy for selective institutions and makes suggestions for further research.