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A broad-based group of political, business and immigration leaders rallied last week to drum up support for Proposition 308, the ballot initiative that would guarantee in-state tuition for any Arizona high school graduate, regardless of citizenship status.

With an estimated 2,000 undocumented students graduating from Arizona high schools every year, backers of the  campaign said it鈥檚 just 鈥渟mart policy鈥� to remove obstacles to their education.

鈥淪ome people might not agree, so we are also saying let鈥檚 do the right thing from an economic standpoint for our state as well.鈥� said Paul J. Luna, president and CEO of Helios Education Foundation. 鈥淭hese students being educated is going to be a greater contributor to the success of our state.鈥�

At least  currently allow state residents who are undocumented to pay in-state tuition at state colleges, but Arizona is not one of them. State residents voted overwhelmingly in the other direction in 2006, approving Proposition 300 by a 71-29 percent margin.

 denied in-state college tuition, financial aid and state-subsidized child care to anyone without legal status.

 gives voters a chance to reverse course this fall. If approved, it would allow anyone who graduated from an Arizona high school, after having attended in-person for at least two years, to get in-state tuition regardless of their immigration status.

The initiative was with a handful of Republican votes. Because it was sent to voters as a ballot initiative, it was not subject to veto by the governor.

The Yes on 308 coalition that launched July 6 included business groups, civic leaders, education groups and elected officials from both parties.

Mesa Mayor John Giles said at the kickoff that it is 鈥渧ery anti-intuitive to try and strengthen our workforce, at the same time putting up barriers to these great young Americans who are very anxious to participate in that American dream.鈥�

Giles, a Republican, said approving Proposition 308 would 鈥渞emove unfair obstacles standing in the way of these kids鈥� dreams.鈥�

That theme was echoed by others at the event, who said investing in undocumented students would be investing in the future of the state.

鈥淭hey are an asset, they鈥檝e earned it and I think we should all support them and vote yes on Proposition 308,鈥� said David Adame, president and CEO of Chicanos Por La Causa, of recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protection.

Adame said that one DACA recipient in five is trying to get a higher education. He also boasted about how undocumented immigrants have contributed to the economy in the 10 years since DACA was enacted.

鈥淭hey have contributed in their current jobs over $25 million to Medicare and the Social Security system,鈥� he said at the campaign launch.

While it cannot grant in-state tuition to Dreamers, the Arizona Board of Regents has given them a slight break on tuition over out-of-state students. Undocumented residents who graduated from an Arizona high school currently  of the in-state rate at one of the the state鈥檚 three public universities.

That can still be steep for undocumented students: Aliento, a DACA advocacy group,  that undocumented Arizona students would pay about $16,500 a year in tuition compared to more than $11,000 for other in-state students.

Luna said that means many students 鈥渂ased on their immigration status are forced to pay higher tuition which for many is unattainable.鈥�

鈥淲e want to make sure that these students have an opportunity that these students pay in-state tuition,鈥� Luna said.

If approved by voters, Proposition 308 would take effect next spring. Giles said it is the right thing to do.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e been educated in our schools, raised in our churches, they play on our kids鈥� Little League teams and given back to our communities and help build our state鈥檚 economy in countless ways,鈥� he said.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jim Small for questions: [email protected]. Follow Arizona Mirror on and .

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