House Passes Moylan's Bill to Expand In-State Tuition Access for Territorial Students

(Washington, D.C.) - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed Congressman James Moylan's legislation, H.R. 6472, the Territorial Student Access to Higher Education Act-marking a major legislative step forward and demonstrating the sustained work required to move Guam's priorities from proposal to passage in Congress.

Students from Guam and other U.S. territories are American citizens, yet many are treated as out-of-state students when applying to public colleges and universities across the country. As a result, families often face significantly higher tuition costs-sometimes tens of thousands of dollars more per year-simply because they reside in a territory.

Moylan's bill addresses this disparity by allowing students from U.S. territories to qualify for in-state tuition nationwide, expanding access to affordable higher education and easing the burden on island families

The House passage of H.R. 6472 builds upon the work already accomplished in the 119th Congress, including more than $60 million in Community Project Funding secured for fiscal year 2025, over $1.2 billion in defense investments for Guam through the National Defense Authorization Act, and last year's House passage of H.R. 877, the Deliver for Veterans Act. These milestones reflect real progress for Guam, but the work is far from finished.

The advancement of this legislation reflects months of continued committee work and the building of strong bipartisan coalitions across Congress to ensure the measure could move forward. Congressman Moylan also thanked House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg for his leadership in advancing the bill through the committee process.

"The passage of H.R. 6472 marks a significant step toward ensuring true parity for American students living in the territories,"Congressman Moylan said. "Too many of our students leave home to pursue degrees that simply aren't available locally, and too often the financial burden places that opportunity further out of reach for hardworking families."

"Delivering results for Guam requires building coalitions, working across committees, and staying focused on solutions that can actually move through Congress,"added Moylan. "This measure strengthens the pipeline of skilled professionals who will help build a stronger, more resilient Guam. It's about empowering our youth to pursue their dreams without being priced out of them, and ensuring that when they return home, they are ready to lead the next chapter of Guam's growth."

For Guam families, pursuing higher education often means leaving the island. With limited four-year degree programs available locally, students must relocate to the mainland, absorbing not only travel and living expenses but also inflated out-of-state tuition rates.

Lower tuition rates will enable more students to pursue degrees in critical fields not currently offered on Guam-including healthcare, engineering, technology, and advanced sciences-while increasing the likelihood that graduates return home to strengthen Guam's workforce.

The bill earned bipartisan backing from across the territories, with original cosponsors Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-Northern Mariana Islands), Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa), Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands), and Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández (D-Puerto Rico), joined by Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-California).

Congresswoman King-Hinds highlighted the broader regional benefit of the legislation:

"Students from the Northern Mariana Islands bring talent, dedication, and a strong commitment to their education when they pursue opportunities across the United States. H.R. 6472 helps expand access to affordable higher education by allowing students from U.S. territories to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. For many CNMI families, higher education requires significant sacrifice, and this bipartisan legislation helps open more doors for our students while strengthening pathways to build the skilled workforce our islands and our nation need."

Congresswoman Radewagen also welcomed House passage of the legislation, emphasizing its importance for students across the territories:

"This is great news for our students, and a successful bipartisan collaboration. Our students deserve the best possible access to four-year university degrees. Millions of American students benefit from in-state tuition, and this innovative bill extends this sensible policy to the islands. Thank you to each of my colleagues. With passage by the full House, we're a big step closer to fairness and making a major difference in opportunity for our students."

Congresswoman Plaskett reflected on her longstanding advocacy for territorial students:

"I am proud to have Congressman Moylan, Congresswoman Radewagen, Congressman Hernández, and Congresswoman King-Hinds join me in this critical effort to address a fundamental inequity faced by residents of the U.S. territories," said Congresswoman Plaskett."Since my first term in office, I have advocated for and introduced legislation to expand in-state tuition college access for students in the Virgin Islands and the other U.S. territories. In 2022, I secured a provision in the Build Back Better Act, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, that would have established a college access grants program to cover the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition rates for students from the small territories attending state universities. I am grateful to my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives for supporting access to equal educational opportunities and their support in passing this legislation. I now urge the Senate to swiftly take up this bill and send it to the President's desk. Our students deserve the same educational opportunities and pathways to success as their peers in the states, and guaranteeing in-state tuition rates is essential to reducing the burden of student debt and opening doors to the careers and advancement in majors which are sometimes not offered in the territories and such expansion of opportunities that will allow our children after graduation to come home and strengthen our local economy. When we invest in the futures of our students, we invest in the future of the Virgin Islands, and in the strength of this nation."

With House passage secured, H.R. 6472 now heads to the U.S. Senate, where Congressman Moylan will continue working with his colleagues to ensure this legislation crosses the finish line and delivers equity for Guam's students.

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