A majority say students should be in US legally to get in-state tuition, Iowa Poll finds

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Nearly three-fourths of Iowans support legislation that would require students to be U.S. citizens or “lawfully present” for them to qualify for in-state tuition, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll finds.

Seventy-three percent of Iowans say they favor such a measure, 23% oppose the idea and 4% aren’t sure.

House File 2320, which would have required the state’s public universities to adopt new rules barring students from receiving in-state tuition rates if they are not U.S. citizens or are not “lawfully present in the United States,” was introduced this session but did not clear a legislative hurdle last week for continued consideration.

The Iowa Poll, conducted by Selzer & Co., surveyed 804 Iowans from Feb. 25-27. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

A strong majority of those who self-identify as Republicans back the bill (88%), the poll shows. A smaller majority of Democrats support it (52%).

Seventy-one percent of Iowans who identify as independents also favor such a measure.

Joshua Peterson, a Republican from Des Moines, believes it’s only fair for in-state tuition fees to be awarded to students who are U.S. citizens or live legally in the United States.

“It takes a little bit away from some of the people that work hard for it and deserve it,” Peterson, 41, said. “People just come in and then the next thing you know they’re being put on the backburner.”

Lifelong Democrat Rod Miller also thinks the citizenship or legal residency requirement is fair. Miller, who said he previously worked for the U.S. Department of Education, said that undocumented students may find themselves ineligible for federal student aid or other grants to help offset costs for school.

“I think we’ve paid our taxes long enough. We’ve more or less earned our dues,” said Miller, 77, of Bellevue. “I really do think that they should pay out-of-state (tuition). If they have a green card, that might be a different story.”

But other Democrats who responded to the poll and participated in follow-up interviews opposed the bill. Cathy Bell, 75, who lives in Atlantic, said the bill promotes fearful, hateful rhetoric against immigrants. It talks about immigrants as if “they’re lower class,” she said.

Greiner, 76, of Iowa Falls, agreed. “What they’re saying is ‘Don’t come here unless you’re a citizen,’” she said.

Greiner said what bothers her the most is the state’s recent efforts in “attacking” students’ access to education and blames the “Republicans’ agenda.” From banning books to promoting school choice, Greiner said these initiatives hinder students from bettering themselves.

Echoing Greiner’s sentiments, Bell emphasized that students, regardless of their citizenship, should be eligible to receive an education.

“They should be able to go to school in the state,” Bell said.

F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @writefelissa

About the Iowa Poll

The Iowa Poll, conducted Feb. 25-28, 2024, for The Des Moines Register and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 804 Iowans ages 18 or older. Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted households with randomly selected landline and cell phone numbers supplied by Dynata. Interviews were administered in English. Responses were adjusted by age, sex and congressional district to reflect the general population based on recent American Community Survey estimates.

Questions based on the sample of 804 Iowa adults have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true population value by more than plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Results based on smaller samples of respondents — such as by gender or age — have a larger margin of error.

Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit and, on digital platforms, links to originating content on The Des Moines Register and Mediacom is prohibited.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Poll: Most support requiring legal US entry for in-state tuition