State should insist colleges obey law

Opinion



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Apparently, the issue of Gainesville College violating federal law, and granting taxpayer-assisted tuition rates to illegal aliens, is a concern for budget writers in the Georgia General Assembly. I suggest it should be a concern for lawmakers and all Georgians alike.
Reasonable people may disagree on the issue of giving taxpayer assistance to illegal aliens, despite the illogical investment of taxpayer dollars in the education of a person not legally allowed to work upon graduation.

However, all Georgians should agree on the need to follow the law and to prevent enormous financial liability for our citizens.

Federal law is quite clear on the issue of taxpayer-assisted tuition for illegal aliens. Title 8 U.S.C. section 1621, requires that illegal aliens may not receive any postsecondary education benefits, unless an individual state specifically grants in-state tuition. Georgia has never granted such a benefit.

Section 1623 of the same federal law states that even if Georgia decides to grant in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens, it could only do so by also granting the same in-state tuition rates to all U.S. citizens.

Some eight states have passed the law granting in-state tuition breaks for illegal aliens, but have not followed by giving that same break to all U.S. citizens. The result has been lawsuits filed on behalf of students paying out-of-state tuition rates in Kansas, Texas and California. The lawsuits seek hundreds of millions of dollars.

Gainesville State College, the University of Georgia, or any other public institution should not put their ideological beliefs ahead of the law. Additionally, these schools should not place Georgia taxpayers under the incredible financial liability of losing a multimillion dollar lawsuit.

Lawmakers are right to apply pressure, through the budget and elsewhere, to get these schools to obey the law and protect Georgia taxpayers.

Sen. Chip Rogers

Woodstock

Originally published Sunday, April 16, 2006

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