On November 19, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick issued a directive to the state’s Board of Higher Education that will require all state universities and colleges to charge DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) beneficiaries the same in-state tuition available to other Massachusetts residents. The measure comes five months after the implementation of the Obama administration’s deferred action policy, which provides work permits and a deportation reprieve to certain young undocumented immigrants.

The policy also mirrors similar measures adopted in New York, California and Texas, and contrasts the laws of other states such as Georgia, Arizona and Ohio – which explicitly prohibit extending in-state tuition benefits to undocumented immigrant students. The change, which took effect immediately, will significantly decrease the cost of college attendance of undocumented immigrants who, until now, were required to pay substantially higher out-of-state rates for a college education.