The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Thursday against Pennsylvania State University, alleging its policy grants in‑state tuition to undocumented students, violating federal law.
Trump Administration Sues Penn State Over In‑State Tuition for Undocumented Students
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the DOJ’s Civil Division said the university “has ignored Congress’s mandate that tuition benefits be available to all U.S. citizens.”
The Justice Department argues that offering reduced tuition to undocumented migrants discriminates against U.S. citizens, including those living out of state, because they cannot receive the same rate.
Penn State’s policy allows undocumented students, with or without Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status, to qualify for in‑state tuition if they attend a Pennsylvania high school for at least four years and graduate or earn a GED.
The department seeks a court order to stop the university from enforcing the policy and to block any new tuition rules that favor undocumented students over citizens.
This lawsuit is the 27th legal challenge the DOJ has filed against state policies that grant in‑state tuition to illegal migrants, with six earlier cases in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Illinois and Kansas resulting in favorable rulings for the federal government.
Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. said the DOJ will continue to ensure no state law or university policy gives preferential treatment to illegal aliens over American citizens.
