Mayra Rubio was 3 months old when she moved to Homestead with her brother and parents from Guadalajara, Mexico.

After she graduated from South Dade Senior High, she realized she could not afford the out-of-state tuition for public colleges and universities. Undocumented students do not get the opportunity to pay in-state tuition rates.

Mayra Rubio

Mayra used to work on her father's farm when she couldn't afford to be a college student. Now that she attends Miami-Dade College, she still offers to lend a hand at the fruit stand her father manages.

So instead, Mayra worked with her father in the fields and groves of South Miami-Dade County. She picked and packed avocados and mangos.

“I would see my friends move on [and] pursue their dreams,” she says. “I felt stuck, like I wasn’t moving anywhere.”

Florida lawmakers have been debating allowing students like Mayra to pay in-state college tuition rates for public colleges and universities. The Senate is passed an amended version of the bill Thursday. It goes back to the House–which passed an earlier version–one more time. Continue Reading →