University Business - May 2011 - (Page 10)

BEHIND the NEws Documenting Tuition The in-state debate The federal dream acT, which would have created a path to citizenship for immigrants who obtained a college degree or had two years of military service, did not include provisions for in-state tuition, but it is still a flash point in the discussion. State legislatures in Oregon, connecticut, maryland, colorado, and Georgia, among others, have been debating laws allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. Ten states currently extend in-state tuition to undocumented students. Published reports indicate most bills would require students to attend a local high school for three years before graduating and prove their parents have paid taxes. in Oregon, students have to prove they are working toward citizenship, while the maryland bill, on its way to the governor, requires the student to also have 60 credits at an in-state community college before transferring to a four-year at the in-state rate. By contrast, a bill was introduced in california to rescind in-state tuition rates, but it died in committee. Policies in Georgia have progressed from more stringent guidelines for verifying residency status last summer to an October decision by the Board of regents to deny admission to undocumented students applying to Georgia College & state University, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia state University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and The University of Georgia, if those institutions have turned away academically qualified, documented residents. “we’ve been accused of playing games with semantics for using ‘undocumented’,” says John millsaps, associate vice president for media and publications for the University system of Georgia. “Our job wasn’t to check if you were illegal or not. Our job was to check that you were a lawful Georgia resident for in-state tuition.” Students can be judged undocumented for a variety of reasons, including not submitting the proper 10 | May 2011 U aP Photo/Jason redmond Undocumented college student Jorge Herrera, 18, center, of Carson, Calif., rallies with students and Dream Act supporters in Los Angeles in December 2010. The Dream Act would have given provisional legal status to illegal immigrants brought to the country as children. paperwork as well as not having the proper paperwork. The committee that studied the situation reported 501 undocumented students enrolled in the system. as millsaps points out, that number is far lower than the thousands of undocumented students critics claim are flooding campuses. a second concern, also debunked by the committee, is that allowing undocumented students to attend colleges, even if they pay out-of-state tuition, are costing taxpayers money. “if you are being charged out-ofstate tuition we’re making money off you,” millsaps says. “So clearly Georgia taxpayers are not subsidizing people paying out of state tuition. if anything, they are subsidizing people paying in-state tuition.” The third concern is that undocumented students will take seats away from legal SOUND BITE residents. as any admissions officer knows, there’s not a simple one-to-one formula. But millsaps turns the argument on its head. “every year, thousands of students apply to The University of Georgia and they aren’t accepted,” he says. “does that mean they are barred? No, they can go to another institution.” There are 35 institutions in the Georgia system. in response to the new regulations enacted in October, applicants now have to request in-state tuition rates, instead of it being the default. That option triggers a series of additional questions meant to verify residency status. millsaps says the regents have no plans to revisit any of the policies until the legislative session has ended, a stance no doubt adopted by leaders in other states. —Ann McClure got lot of satisfaction i focusa on students in thefrom being president,asbut now i can‘ way i wasn’t able to president. ‘ —Lawrence Summers, former president of Harvard, on his return to the university as a professor universitybusiness.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - May 2011

University Business - May 2011
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Ad Index
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Money Matters
Human Resources
Community Colleges
Networks Freshen Up
Collaboration Station
Someone to Watch Over You
What's New
End Note

University Business - May 2011