Proposition 308 and Northern Arizona University
Arizona Proposition 308, which became effective in December 2022, allows qualifying non-citizen students in Arizona to receive in-state tuition at Arizona universities or community colleges.
To see this page in Spanish, visit La Proposición 308 en Northern Arizona University (en Español).
What is Prop. 308?
Prop. 308 is a legislative referral that was on the ballot for November 2022. The voters passed Prop. 308, and it became effective Dec. 5, 2022, after the election results were certified and proclaimed to be law by former Arizona Governor Ducey.
What does Prop. 308 do?
Proposition 308 makes two significant changes to Arizona law. First, with the passage of Proposition 308, a qualified noncitizen student, with exceptions defined by law, is eligible for in-state tuition at state universities and community colleges if the student has both:
1. attended an Arizona public or private high school, or two years minimum of homeschooling;
2. Graduated from an Arizona public or private high school, or homeschool equivalent, or earned an Arizona high school equivalent diploma, i.e., a general equivalent and diploma (GED).
Second, Proposition 308 repealed by A.R.S. § 15-1825, and now noncitizen students are eligible to receive financial aid funded entirely, or in part, with state money, regardless of immigration status.
Frequently asked questions
In-state tuition FAQs
A qualifying non-citizen student, other than the nonimmigrant aliens described under 8 U.S. Code § 1101(a)(15), is eligible for in-state tuition under Prop. 308, regardless of immigration status, if the student meets both of the following criteria:
- 1. The student attended any public or private high school or homeschool equivalent while physically present in Arizona for at least two years; and
- 2. The student graduated from any public or private high school or homeschool equivalent in Arizona or obtained a high school equivalency diploma in Arizona, i.e., a GED.
No. Students do not need to have two years of consecutive presence. However, to be eligible, they still must provide documentation that they both:
- 1. attended any public or private high school option or homeschool equivalent while physically present in Arizona for at least two years; and
- 2. graduated from a public or private high school option or homeschool equivalent or obtained a high school equivalency diploma in Arizona.
No. A qualifying non-citizen student will pay in-state tuition if they meet the requirements of A.R.S. § 15-1803(B):
- 1. The student attended any public or private high school or homeschool equivalent while physically present in Arizona for at least two years; and
- 2. The student graduated from any public or private high school or homeschool equivalent in Arizona or obtained a high school equivalency diploma in Arizona, i.e., a GED.
Financial aid FAQs
Prop. 308 repealed an Arizona law (A.R.S. § 15-1825) which prohibited students who were not citizens of the United States and who were “without lawful immigration status” from receiving financial assistance subsidized or paid in whole, or in part, with state monies, such as tuition waivers, fee waivers, grants, scholarships, and any other type of financial aid or assistance.
With the passage of Prop. 308, all students—regardless of immigration status—may be eligible to receive financial aid paid in whole or in part with state monies to attend an Arizona public university or an Arizona community college. While Prop. 308 eliminated barriers to eligibility for financial aid based on immigration status, a student must still meet all other requirements of the state financial aid they are seeking.
To be eligible for state financial aid, a student does NOT need to meet the Arizona high school attendance or graduation criteria. That applies only to eligibility for in-state tuition. Prop. 308 does not impact the eligibility requirements to receive federal financial aid.