Illegal immigrant students who intend to or are already attending state universities will be able to pay the same in-state tuition as Wisconsin residents as part of a provision included in the biennial budget signed by Gov. Jim Doyle Monday.

While the in-state tuition measure remained in the budget, a provision that would allow illegal immigrants access to a special driver card in lieu of a regular license was not part of the final budget deal.

“Obviously we’re very pleased with the victory on education rights for the students,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, president of the immigrant advocacy group Voces de la Frontera.

“We’re very committed to introducing (separate legislation) on the driving cards,” she said. “We got it into the joint finance committee and it passed the Assembly. It was really in the Senate where it got derailed. Obviously we were very close to getting it passed.”

As it stands, the 2009-11 budget includes a provision requiring universities to charge in-state tuition to undocumented students who have lived in Wisconsin at least three years before they graduate from high school or obtain a General Education Development certificate.

Last week, students from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Latinos Unidos organization were among 500 supporters of the in-tuition provision and driver cards at a rally in Madison.

Latinos Unidos member Lizeth Romero, a senior studying sociology and early childhood education, knows students who are paying three times what she pays as a resident.

“I think more than anything ... even though it doesn’t affect you, you still support it for the other people that can’t. It’s always important to take that under consideration and try for them,” Romero said.

Leticia Rubalcaba, who is studying accounting and Spanish at Parkside, is happy lawmakers finally passed in-state tuition.

“We’re excited about that. We’ve done a lot of work for I don’t know how many years and finally it’s put in the budget and then they actually passed it,” she said.

Rubalcaba is excited for one of her friends who started attending Parkside with her three years ago. She said her friend had to drop out the first semester, even though she was doing well.

“She graduated with honors at Horlick (High School in Racine). But she had to drop out ... She was working two jobs and she couldn’t afford it,” Rubalcaba said. “She’s been waiting for this. It’s going to be three years that she hasn’t been going to school.”

Parkside’s undergraduate resident student tuition for a single credit is $254.84, while a non-resident pays $570.38, according to the 2008 fall fee schedule, the most current tuition rates. Fall fees for the 2009 semester have yet to be determined.

Wisconsin becomes the 11th state to allow in-state tuition for such students, joining California, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Washington.