Thread: Struggling with the Status of Undocumented Students

A number of articles have been posted here about the repeatedly changing status of illegal alien students in relation to community colleges in North Carolina. The following is from the "Community College Times":

Struggling with status of undocumented students
By CARISA CHAPPELL, Published September 24, 2009

States aren’t sure what to do about the issue of undocumented immigrants. It’s become especially controversial in places like North Carolina, where during the last eight years, the state community college system has changed its mind four times regarding whether to allow undocumented students to enroll at its institutions.

In 2001, the system prohibited undocumented immigrants from enrolling. In 2004, it allowed each college to decide. In 2007, all community colleges were mandated to admit undocumented students. But that was reversed last year when the system prohibited its member colleges from enrolling undocumented students into degree-granting programs.

Last week, system officials changed their minds again, allowing undocumented immigrants to enroll in classes, as long as they have graduated from a U.S. high school. (See story, N.C. system changes policy on immigrants)
http://www.communitycollegetimes.com/ar ... cleId=2123

North Carolina is not alone in the quandary about how to handle the dilemma, and states vary in their approaches, said Teresita Wisell, director of the Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education (CCCIE).

“Up until now, this issue has been left to the states and to the community college systems to interpret and administer as they deem appropriate,â€

[quote]“The other extreme is those states that do not allow undocumented student to enroll in community colleges at all,â€