SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
BY VICTOR SKINNER

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Illegal immigrant students in Guilford County, North Carolina want free college tuition, and they plan to protest to get their way.

A group of current and former Guilford County high school students are planning a demonstration at tonight’s Say Yes Guilford College Fair at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center because they think it’s unfair that they aren’t included in the local Say Yes college scholarship program, the High Point Enterprise reports.guilford

“Not having the opportunity to be included like other students, even though they said it would be for all students, makes me upset,” Page High School junior Carla Lope-Alvarez told the news site.

The Say Yes scholarships are the product of the non-profit Say Yes to Education, which partners with local school districts to provide in-state college costs that are not already covered by federal or state financial aid. The program requires students to file a federal FAFSA form to qualify, and that form requires students to submit a social security number.

Fox 8 reports Guilford County Schools last year became the third school district to partner with the nonprofit. Buffalo and Syracuse, New York schools are also participating.

“Say Yes Guilford encourages undocumented and DACA students to fill out the paperwork for Say Yes scholarships, with the intent of matching those students with private college and university partners of Say Yes whose policies may permit them to offer financial support to undocumented/DACA students,” according to a FAQ sheet at SayYesGuilford.org.

“Say Yes would also be open to considering efforts by members of the local community to establish designated funds, in addition to the local Say Yes Scholarship Fund, that might be used to support scholarships for undocumented/DACA students. Because undocumented/DACA students are not eligible to access federal and state aid, or in*-state tuition in North Carolina, they are not eligible for a ‘last dollar’ tuition scholarship to an in*-state public institution from the local Say Yes scholarship funds.”

But helping steer illegal immigrant students to resources to help them through college isn’t as good as giving them actual money, and students like Western High School junior Dafne Cruz want folks to know that they’re getting a raw deal.

Cruz told the Enterprise her school made an announcement about the Say Yes scholarships but did not explain that they’re available only to legal residents.

“I had to inform my counselor that Say Yes doesn’t really help undocumented students because she didn’t know,” Cruz said. “We want to be included.”

“Asking anyone if they are undocumented is a touchy subject, but I know whose who are in the group feel very passionate about the issue,” Lopez-Alvarez said. “Some of them think Say Yes will cover the cost of college even though that is not true.”

Local illegal immigrant students are hoping to explain that fact and demand a change at the college fair, which runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. They’re planning to protest the event with posters that feature a blank photo frame with the message “Say Yes to us” and demand an audience with the scholarship committee to dream up ways to funnel funds to non-residents for in-state tuition, WFMY reports.

Say Yes Guilford contends the work of finding money and resources for illegals is already underway, part of the overall goal of eventually helping all students in the county to peruse higher education.

“We are hopeful that we can work together and forge a better path forward for each student in our community through some form of resource provided by our respective organizations — ideally knitting together public and private support in a way that is sustainable and scalable,” Say Yes Guilford Spokesman Donnie Turlington told the Enterprise.

“It’s important to note that the Say Yes Guilford scholarship is just one aspect of the overall Say Yes program. Ultimately, Say Yes Guilford is working to build a support system that will nurture all Guilford County Schools’ students from K-12, regardless of citizenship, to ensure they are receiving academic and non-academic supports that will remove barriers to achievement and make them successful inside and outside the classroom.”

http://eagnews.org/nc-illegal-immigr...llege-tuition/