Dive Brief:

The Arizona Supreme Court ruling earlier this year making in-state tuition unavailable to Arizona residents who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival status likely contributed to a 40% decline in DACA student enrollment at the 10 Maricopa Community Colleges, according to the Arizona Republic.

The college system, which had total enrollment of around 196,000 during the 2016-17 academic year, didn't provide previous enrollment numbers but reported that the drop in DACA students was much larger than past fluctuations among that group. Most of Arizona's DACA students who attend college go to a two-year campus.

Meanwhile, the number of DACA learners at Arizona State University increased since the April court ruling, although the pace of enrollments had slowed from recent years.

Dive Insight:

The Arizona Supreme Court ruling means DACA recipients have to pay as much as three times the in-state tuition rates they have been allowed for the past three years, the Arizona Republic reported in a separate article. The publication noted that the 2,000 DACA students at Maricopa Community Colleges would pay $241 per credit hour as compared to the $86 state residents pay. At state universities, their tuition would rise from about $10,600 to $26,500.

DACA students are already barred from receiving federal financial aid, and they can't receive state financial aid in 42 states or in-state tuition rates in 30 states, according to The Washington Post.

Colleges and universities across the country have attempted to soften the financial blow caused by decisions such as that of Arizona for DACA students through private donations, and some private universities have offered lower cost tuition or scholarships.

Johns Hopkins University, the City University of New York's graduate universities, Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine in Illinois and Claremont Graduate University in California are among the institutions helping DACA recipients with scholarships and other financial support.

The Trump administration's moves to end DACA have met considerable resistance, even from some Republicans. Most recently, a federal judge in Texas last month ruled against ending the program after Texas and eight other states sued for an injunction to stop it.

Mary Sue Coleman, president of the Association of American Universities, issued a statement earlier this month urging Congress to make the protection of young people brought to the U.S. as children permanent. She said it is important for colleges to support them "as many are now students, scholars, and scientists at our universities, contributing to the economy and our scientific enterprise."