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Read. Follow. Verify.Arizona Legislature proposes ballot measure to set in-state tuition and legal status requirements for public colleges
Last action · January 26, 2026: House Second ReadingSponsors: Michael Way and 2 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Beginning July 1, 2027, this measure proposes to condition in-state tuition classification at Arizona universities and community colleges on completing two years of K-12 instruction in Arizona, graduating or obtaining a diploma in the state, and holding legal U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status, pending voter approval at the next general election.
Determines whether prospective students qualify for lower in-state tuition rates at public universities and community colleges based on specific educational history and legal residency criteria.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
prospective university students
Students seeking enrollment must meet new educational history, graduation, and legal status criteria to receive in-state tuition rates.
community college students
Community college students are subject to the same statutory residency requirements and cannot be classified as residents unless all criteria are met.
Arizona Board of Regents universities
State universities must apply the newly established tuition classification standards to incoming students starting July 1, 2027.
Key Facts
- Section 15-1802 and Section 15-1803, Arizona Revised Statutes, are repealed effective June 30, 2027.
- A new section 15-1802 is added, establishing that in-state tuition status begins on July 1, 2027.
- Students must complete at least two years of instruction in grades one through twelve while present in Arizona to qualify for in-state tuition.
- Qualifying education includes public school, private school, homeschool, or an Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account.
Show all 9 facts
- Students must either graduate from an Arizona high school or earn an Arizona high school equivalency diploma.
- Students must be U.S. citizens, legal residents, or hold lawful immigration status under federal law.
- Community colleges are explicitly prohibited from classifying students as residents for tuition purposes unless they meet all the new statutory requirements.
- The act may be cited as 'The Arizona Tuition Fairness and Legal Status Act'.
- The measure requires submission to the voters at the next general election for final enactment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What educational requirements must a student meet to qualify for in-state tuition?
Are citizenship or legal status requirements included in the measure?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · on the House floor.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 26, 2026HouseFloorHouse Second Reading
- Jan 22, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse First Reading
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Voter Referral for Tuition Criteria
The Legislature is bypassing standard statutory enactment to place comprehensive student tuition classification requirements directly on the general election ballot.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.azleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
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