To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for in-state tuition rates for certain residents of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Moylan (for himself, Mrs. Radewagen, Mrs. King-Hinds, Mr. Hernández, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill requires public colleges and universities that receive federal education funding to charge in-state tuition rates to students from U.S. territories - specifically Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands - who are U.S. nationals. Currently, these students are often charged out-of-state tuition rates despite being U.S. nationals, which can be two to three times higher than in-state rates.
Who Benefits and How
Students from the four covered U.S. territories benefit directly through substantially lower tuition costs when attending public universities in any U.S. state. Their families also benefit from reduced educational expenses. Territory economies may benefit indirectly by making it more feasible for residents to obtain higher education on the mainland without the barrier of prohibitive out-of-state tuition costs.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Public colleges and universities face potential revenue losses, as they will collect lower tuition from territory students who would otherwise pay out-of-state rates. State taxpayers may indirectly bear costs, as public universities are partially funded through state appropriations and may need additional support to offset reduced tuition revenue. However, the affected population (U.S. territory residents attending mainland universities) is relatively small.
Key Provisions
- Prohibits public institutions receiving federal higher education assistance from charging covered individuals more than in-state tuition rates
- Defines "covered individual" as a resident of Guam, CNMI, American Samoa, or USVI who is a U.S. national
- Amends Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act to add compliance with this requirement as a condition of receiving federal assistance
- Creates new Section 135A in the Higher Education Act to codify these requirements
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require public colleges and universities that receive federal education assistance to charge in-state tuition rates to residents of U.S. territories (Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) who are U.S. nationals.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Expand educational access for U.S. territory residents by eliminating out-of-state tuition barriers at public universities in U.S. states"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Students from U.S. territories (Guam, CNMI, American Samoa, USVI) seeking higher education in U.S. states
- Families in U.S. territories who would otherwise pay out-of-state tuition rates
- U.S. territory economies (reduces brain drain incentives)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Public colleges and universities (potential revenue loss from reduced tuition rates)
- State taxpayers (may subsidize reduced tuition through state education funding)
- In-state students at public universities (may face increased competition for limited seats)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "covered_individual"
- → Residents of Guam, CNMI, American Samoa, or USVI who are U.S. nationals
- "public_institution"
- → Public institution of higher education receiving federal assistance under the Higher Education Act
- "covered_individual"
- → Residents of Guam, CNMI, American Samoa, or USVI who are U.S. nationals
- "public_institution"
- → Public institution of higher education receiving federal assistance under the Higher Education Act
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
An individual who (1) is a resident of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or the United States Virgin Islands; and (2) is a national of the United States (as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a))).
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology