by Mandy Stussman ’14

The Maryland Dream Act, which passed in November to provide undocumented immigrants with in-state college tuition rates, has resulted in the major increase in price for certain students due to wording in the law.

According to The Washington Post, the loophole arises in the statement that immigrant students can get in-state tuition upon graduation from high school, among other requirements. This particular requirement, however, impedes an undocumented immigrant student’s ability to take classes at Montgomery College while still in high school.

Montgomery College was the only school in the state offering in-county tuition rates to undocumented students prior to the passage of the Dream Act. Now, with the wording in the law, the school is forced to increase rates severely—up to three times the cost—for students still in high school. Many students who took classes or participated in programs at the college prior to the passage of the bill are now unable to participate.

The administration at Montgomery College worries that avoiding a legislative solution could make the college susceptible to a lawsuit similar to one that challenged the school’s discounted rates before the law was passed.