Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Editorial OK: Does Immigration Law Unfairly Affect State Students?

Yet another state denies affordable education opportunities to talented young undocument students, whoes DREAMS are much the same as my DREAMS - get an education, have a fulling job, give back to my community, and be a responsible citizens - "LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM".

It is unfortunate that the 200+ students in OK have once again been told that they CAN'T go to school. Our low-income familes would never be able to afford triple tuition rates, I know my family wouldn't.

This is the same thing that happend in Georgia, an anti-immigrant law was passed in 2006, and the GA Board of Regeants decided to comply with the law - although they didn't have to, leaving many students without the opportunity to receive a waiver to pay in-state tuition.

The international student referred in this Editorial might be from another STATE attending college in OK and that is why he/she is paying out-of-state tuition, which to me is fair. I don't expect another state to embrace me as a TEXAN not having contributed (payed any taxes) and never lived there. Each state has a different law/time frame to allow you to become a "resident" of that state, allowing you to then receive their benefits.

OK has anti-immigrant laws that will only backlash in the near future - lack of talent and economically.


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News OK.com, February 20, 2008
By Susan Simpson

STILLWATER — Oklahoma's immigration law unfairly punishes some of the state's greatest assets: young people with the ability and desire to gain a college education, a University of Houston law professor said Tuesday.


The law that went into effect Nov. 1 makes it harder for illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state college tuition and bars them from state scholarships.

Michael Olivas said that is unfair because it targets the children of parents who brought them here illegally. Some teens do not know they are illegal until they are asked for proof of residency when they apply to college.

"You can't simply punish the kids in hopes that their parents will go home," Olivas said during his Kamm Lecture address at Oklahoma State University. "These children are here simply because their parents brought them here."

What have colleges done?
The state Regents for Higher Education changed some policies in October to bring them into compliance with the new law.

Undocumented students who have lived in Oklahoma for at least two years and have graduated from high school remain eligible for in-state tuition if they have applied with the federal government to legalize their status or pledge to do so as soon as they are eligible.

But illegal immigrants no longer qualify for state scholarships such as Oklahoma's Promise and the Oklahoma Tuition Assistance Grant, unless they had already applied and were covered under a grandfather clause.

In the 2006-07 school year, 244 undocumented students attended Oklahoma colleges, mostly at Oklahoma City Community College and Tulsa Community College. While they cost the state $112,000 in tuition waivers and state aid, they contributed $238,785 in tuition and fees.

What students said
Olivas said the stricter standards to college access are "mean-spirited," because giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition does not take away that right for other Oklahomans.

But one international student at the lecture complained he has to pay out-of-state tuition although he's been in the United States legally for several years.

Brenda Morales, OSU's Hispanic student coordinator, said students are unclear about the new rules. Morales said many don't know they can still go to college by paying out-of-state tuition, but that is probably too expensive for most families.

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