Dec 19 (Reuters) - Students who are undocumented immigrants will be allowed to pay lower, in-state tuition at New Jersey public universities and colleges, Governor Chris Christie said on Thursday.
"These young men and women of our state, who we have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in in their K-12 education, we're now going to give them an opportunity in an affordable way to be able to continue their education," Christie said in Trenton.
The move comes after lengthy political wrangling between the Republican governor, who is widely expected to make a run for the White House in 2016, and Democrats in the state legislature.
"This will be once again an example of New Jersey showing how you can come to bipartisan agreement," Christie said. "Not that we agree on everything, but that we find a way of bringing people together and come to a position that will benefit all the people of this state."
He said he would sign the tuition bill, which applies to students who have attended at least three years of high school in New Jersey. They will not, however, be eligible for certain financial aid, as some legislators had hoped.
(Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst; editing by Gunna Dickson)
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