Undocumented Students Given Green Light at GTCC
If illegal immigrants can pay, they can study.
The full board of trustees at GTCC voted earlier this month to allow undocumented students to study for degree programs, provided they pay out of state tuition. In May a subcommittee recommended the change.
That works out to be about $13,000 over two years.In state students pay about $2,400.
The decision comes amid increasing state and national debate about the access that undocumented students should have to higher education.
Nine states currently allow students to attend universities and community colleges at in-state rates.
North Carolina law prohibits extending in state tuition to undocumented students. Such students are not allowed to access federal or state loans or scholarships either.
Because many illegal immigrants come from low income backgrounds, "I do not anticipate a large number of students enrolling," said Don Cameron, president of GTCC.
In order to enroll students must demonstrate at least three year's attendance at a U.S. high school and graduation. They must also acknowledge that they should not study for professional degrees because the state cannot grant licenses to illegal immigrants.
Comments (2)
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I wonder if the GTCC board of trustees asked their students who are legal citizens, who will get bumped out of classes they need to enroll in by illegal immigrants, how they fill about this.
Obviously, the GTCC board feels money is more important than increasing the load illegal immigrants place on this state and Guilford County.
What part of illegal is not clear to the board?
Posted on June 28, 2005 3:20 PM
You're right Michael.
Don Cameron says "I do not anticipate a large number of students enrolling" because many come from low income backgrounds.
If it's just one that bumps a "legal" student out of a class they need, it's too many.
It's all about "the money".
It's amazing to me that here in the U.S. we have laws that every citizen must follow, yet we overlook and give preferential treatment to a segment that is breaking these very laws.
Posted on June 29, 2005 9:41 PM