At the University of North Texas, as Campus Reform recently reported, out-of-state citizen residents pay roughly $12,000 more in annual tuition than illegals who reside in the state. The Young Conservatives of Texas sued the school, saying the policy discriminated against Americans by offering benefits to illegals not offered to all citizens.

The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently reversed the Texas Eastern District Court’s decision original decision in favor of the plaintiffs, ultimately affirming the legality of the tuition difference.

“It’s really kind of heartbreaking for these students,” Fowler said, “who have planned to go to this university and are willing to pay this extra fee, but then they’re looking at someone who is an illegal resident … and they’re getting a better deal, even though they’re breaking the law.”