ATLANTA — A North Georgia lawmaker will renew his push for young immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition rates at some Georgia colleges and universities.

After the legislation stalled in a Senate committee last session, Republican Rep. Kasey Carpenter of Dalton has said he will refile a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition rates at some Georgia schools.

The House Higher Education committee chairman did not move the bill forward last March as the fate of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — which protects children brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents — was in flux. But last June, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling saved the program after finding the Trump administration illegally rescinded it in 2017.

The decision has allowed lawmakers and advocates to again turn their sights on passing legislation that would increase access to higher education for DACA recipients. As of 2020, there are about 21,000 young immigrants, or “Dreamers,” in Georgia who may be missing out on the opportunity for a secondary education because of the out-of-state cost of tuition.

“For me it’s a workforce development issue,” Carpenter told CNHI. “We’ve got opportunity to keep these high-achievers in our state and for my community they add a lot of value. They’re hard-working folks and they just want opportunities. They’re Georgians, as far as I’m concerned.”

The Republican said he hopes to get the bill out of committee and to the House floor for a vote — but he expects some changes to the legislation along the way.

Only students younger than 30, who have been in the country since they were 12 years old and graduated from a Georgia high school or received a Georgia GED diploma would be eligible. Georgia’s four research institutions — Augusta University, the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia State University would not be included in the legislation.

Bernie Olvera, 27, of Dalton went through the K-12 education system in his hometown and graduated from Dalton State University. Olvera, who came to the United States when he was 4, is a DACA recipient and now works as for a tech consulting firm in Atlanta.

Olvera said tuition-equity measures, like the one proposed by Carpenter, give young immigrants expanded opportunity for education and the chance to give back to their community after they graduate.

“It’s tough when we’re living locally but don’t have the opportunity to pay in-state tuition,” he told CNHI. “It’s like a closed door for us to continue pursuing a higher education — especially in these tough times when when it’s needed.”