Sen. Mazie Hirono is an original co-sponsor of a bill introduced by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) called the Investing IN States To Achieve Tuition Equity (IN-STATE) for DREAMers Act of 2014.

Under the bill, according to Hirono’s office, the University of Hawaii system would be eligible for federal funding as part of a new $750 million initiative “to reward states like Hawaii that offer in-state tuition and need-based financial aid to qualified students regardless of immigration status. Studies have estimated that more than 2,000 students in Hawaii could be eligible.”

In February 2013, the UH Board of Regents approved an update to its by-laws allowing in-state tuition and financial assistance for the DREAMers Act, should it become law. The legislation would be paid-for by increasing visa processing fees on temporary foreign students who plan to return to their home countries.

Photo: Sen. Hirono with DREAMers and educators at UH Manoa, October 2013. (Sen. Mazie Hirono)

—Chad Blair