Thread: Illegals lose right to in-state tuition

http://www.redandblack.com/vnews/displa ... 0f3606af44

Illegals lose right to in-state tuition
New law gives BOR power to create exclusive policy
By CRISTEN CONGER
Published , March 10, 2006, 06:00:01 AM EDT


An illegal immigration bill passed Wednesday in the state senate leaves in-state tuition for undocumented students to the discretion of the Board of Regents.

The Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act, sponsored by state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), targets employers who hire illegal immigrants and denies them most state benefits.

However, the bill exempts individuals from having to verify legal residency to receive postsecondary education, leaving it up to the regents to establish their own admissions and tuition policies.

IMMIGRATION
University and Board of Regents Policies for determining in-state tuition:
- According to the University’s Office of Admissions, “non-U.S. citizens are only eligible for in-state residency if they are lawful permanent residents as documented by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service or have been granted a visa in an eligible category ... These students must still provide documentation of in-state residency for the twelve-month period prior to the start of the term.”
- By regents policy, to receive in-state tuition, individuals must verify residency in Georgia at least 12 months prior to registration.

Regents spokeswoman Arlethia Perry-Johnson said it has been the policy of the regents to comply with state and federal laws in determining tuition policy.

“We believe we’ve already been doing just what this legislation reflects,” Perry-Johnson said.

Now, if students cannot produce the documentation necessary to receive in-state tuition, they must pay out-of-state tuition — a yearly difference of more than $12,000. However, Perry-Johnson said some privately-funded scholarships have been established to offset that difference for undocumented students.

Each University System institution has the final say on admissions and issues such as tuition waivers, but their decisions must be within the parameters established by the regents, Perry-Johnson said.

Cristina Ruiz, a sophomore from Columbia and co-president and treasurer of the Hispanic Student Association, found the legislation troubling since many undocumented students cannot afford to pay out-of-state tuition.

“If you cut that, there’s no way they can go to school,” Ruiz said, adding that educational barriers will only create a negative economic cycle among the illegal immigrants.

Public Relations Coordinator for College Republicans, Jeff Emanuel, said the legislation was a positive step to encouraging illegal immigrants to gain citizenship and discouraging others from coming to Georgia.

Since undocumented students are technically illegal immigrants, the senior from Peachtree City said it makes sense for them to not receive in-state tuition.

“We’re 100 percent for immigration, but we’re 100 percent for the law as well,” Emanuel said.

The bill next moves to the state House of Representatives.

State Rep. Jane Kidd (D-Athens) said she was still reviewing the 12-page bill, but thinks there’s a good chance it will pass in the House.

Kidd said she understands the arguments on both sides of the issue but has not been completely happy with the state-level solutions.

The real way to address illegal immigration is to somehow penalize businesses, but she doesn’t want to debilitate them, Kidd said. She added she doesn’t think illegal immigrants should be treated as sub-human.

She added she doesn’t think illegal immigrants should be treated as sub-human.

And neither should legal residents from the other 49 states who are charged out-of-state tuition.

I live in California and i am a University student, there is a lawsuit in California against those here illegally that get in state tuition while American citizens of other have to pay out state tuition. It is becoming a heated debate unless this bill was pasted at the federal level?

T

If CA colleges/universities are made to refund tuition to all out-of-state students they've had since giving illegals in-state status, this could be big bucks.

There is no "right" to any type of tuition.

Boo hoo ,,invaders are losing their rights, we hear everyday.

"Illegals lose special treatment " , is how the stories should be titled.



-pa

However, the bill exempts individuals from having to verify legal residency to receive postsecondary education, leaving it up to the regents to establish their own admissions and tuition policies.

If I am reading this right, doesn't it sort of nullify the whole thing?