Accessible education: State board right to support community college access for undocumented immigrants

The State Board of Community Colleges made the right decision in supporting the acceptance of undocumented immigrants to community colleges.

The decision passed Friday and now must go through a six- to 12-month administrative process before officially becoming law.

The new policy overturns an unnecessary and impractical ban that has kept illegal immigrants out of community college since May 2008.

The initiative outlined three conditions for allowing undocumented immigrants.

The student must be a graduate of a U.S. high school, pay out-of-state tuition and may not displace a N.C. resident from the class.

With these requirements in place, the new policy will not negatively affect legal residents.

No taxpayer money will be subsidizing these students’ education and no competition for class seats will arise. If these immigrants are willing to pay the full amount, there is absolutely no reason to deny them entry.

Any protest against the policy will simply amount to anti-immigrant rhetoric that won’t hold water.

Besides, educating a workforce that already resides in the state can’t possibly hurt.

Undocumented immigrants have now become a considerable minority within the state that needs access to education.

“It is a policy that is the right thing to do,” said Dr. R. Scott Ralls, president of the N.C. Community College System, in a press release.

“It maintains that all-important hope for students who were brought to our country as minors and who are graduates of our high schools.”

And with out-of-state tuition that will total $7,700 for the year, the policy will actually generate business for the state.

According to Ron Bilbao, founder of UNC’s Coalition for College Access, the 2006-07 out-of-state tuition for community college produced roughly $1,500 in profit for the system.

The State Board of Community Colleges saw through anti-immigrant sentiment and came to a rational agreement that will hurt no one.