ST. PAUL — Lawmakers are considering extending Minnesota’s resident tuition rates for public colleges to illegal immigrants.

Sen. Sandy Pappas, a St. Paul Democrat, is leading the push to make college cheaper for illegal immigrants on the condition that they graduate from high school and apply to legalize their immigration status as soon as possible. The bill also opens access to some financial aid.

Her bill passed the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee unanimously last month. It’s expected to come up before that committee again today, possibly to be included in a larger higher education bill.

If passed and signed into law, Minnesota would become the 13th state to offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. Pappas has tried the bill several times in the last decade.