RALEIGH (AP) ó Leaders of state community colleges say they want to reverse a ban on admission of illegal immigrants into the local North Carolina colleges.
Some members of the state Board of Community Colleges said they favor reversing the ban on undocumented students, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Friday. The ban has kept those students out of the state’s 58 community colleges for the past year.
Board member Stuart Fountain said Thursday at the board’s policy committee meeting the colleges shouldn’t stand in the way of anyone who wants to attend.
“Without this option, we are creating a second-class citizenry, a group of people who have no option but to go ahead and join a gang,” Fountain said.
The students would pay out-of-state tuition rates of about $7,000 a year.
A study commissioned by the system showed that South Carolina is the only other state that bans illegal immigrants. The study also said taxpayers wouldn’t be affected if the students pay out-of-state rates.
The committee members voted to draft a policy to allow admission of undocumented immigrants who graduated from U.S. high schools. It would be at least September before the full board could vote on the policy.
“These young people are here with basically no fault of their own,” said board member Joanne Steiner. “I am highly opposed to creating a subculture of people who have no hope.”
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Information from: The News & Observer, http://www.newsobserver.com