New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed legislation today that will grant students who grew up in the state and attended three years of high school the chance at in-state tuition, the Star-Ledger reported.
The bill, deemed the "Dream Act," will allow high school graduates to be eligible for in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities as well as in-county rates at community colleges, the Ledger reported.
Christie was sent a version of the bill by the Legislature which included financial aid eligibility for immigrant students including tuition grants, according to the Ledger. Christie vetoed that section of the bill and sent it back to the Senate and Assembly who quickly signed to the changes.
The passing of the bill ends a long held argument on the measure and is being considered a "historic achievement," according to the Ledger.
Colin Reed, a Christie spokesman, said "the governor signed the legislation privately earlier today, and there will be a public ceremony to follow in the weeks ahead," but added no date has been set, the Ledger reported.
Christie had been trying to gain the Hispanic vote during his re-election campaign and said he would support the idea of in-state tuition for students who had been brought to New Jersey and had attended school there, but had made no further comments on the bill until it moved to the Legislature, the Ledger reported.
When it did reach the Legislature is when Christie expressed his views on the financial-aid amendment to the bill and was accused of trying to gain support of his more conservative voters in his plan to run for president in 2016, according to the Ledger.
Out of the 18 states which have passed in-state tuition to immigrants, only a couple, like Texas and California, offer financial aid opportunities.
