Kansas tuition debate continues after governor’s veto, potentially impacting KU students

The fight over in-state tuition for undocumented students in Kansas continues even after Governor Laura Kelly vetoed Senate Bill 254 earlier this month.

The bill, introduced by Mike Thompson, would have prevented undocumented students from qualifying for in-state tuition at Kansas colleges.

The bill narrowly passed the state Senate, 22–18, showing just how divided lawmakers are on the issue. Thompson said the bill is about fairness and following the law. 

“What are we teaching these young people, if they think there are exceptions to the rule of law?” he said.

In Kelly’s statement, she said punishing students for decisions their parents made years ago is not only unfair, but also doesn’t benefit the state.

Brent Metz, who leads the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at KU, says many Kansans view the proposal as unnecessarily harsh—especially toward students. 

“I don’t think Kansans support this,” Metz said. “A lot of people see it as cruel… it’s taking away their ability to fully participate in education.”

Metz also argues the bill isn’t really about money, it’s about punishing undocumented immigrants to get them to leave the country.

On KU’s campus, especially around Bailey Hall where Metz works, proposals like this can have a real impact. Students and faculty say it creates stress and uncertainty for those affected. 

“It creates an atmosphere of fear for those students,” Metz said.

Even though this version of the bill was vetoed, the conversation is far from finished. Similar efforts have come up before, and could come back again. 

“I think they’ll keep trying,” Metz said. “This issue has become a political tool nationally, so we’ll likely keep seeing it.”

For now, there’s no clear timeline on if or when the bill could return. But one thing is clear: the debate over who gets access to affordable education in Kansas is not going away anytime soon.

Watch the segment here: