Wildman’s Hangout

N.C. community college panel OKs immigrant enrollment

Posted: Today at 4:01 a.m.
Updated: 34 minutes ago

RALEIGH, N.C. —A committee of the North Carolina Board of Community Colleges on Thursday approved a policy that would allow illegal immigrants into the two-year colleges.

A vote by the full board was expected Friday.

Under a proposed policy, immigrant students who graduated from a U.S. high school would have to pay out-of-state rates of about $7,000 a year. Also, lawful U.S. residents would have priority to crowded classrooms.

The country’s third-largest community college system has changed its illegal immigrant admission policy four times since 2000. The latest look comes as laid-off workers fill classrooms.

Latino advocacy groups hailed the proposal, saying it would continue North Carolina’s tradition of higher education support for state residents.

“We were the first state to allow access to higher education in the country, and I hope we continue to live with that tradition,” said Irene Godinez, director of advocacy at El Pueblo.

But the idea has stoked fierce opposition from groups that maintain the state shouldn’t provide any services to people who are in the U.S. illegally.

“If we have community college students illegally here and graduating and taking a job, that’s going to keep another North Carolinian drawing unemployment and probably getting health benefits, so where’s the savings?” said Ron Woodard, director of NC Listen, a nonprofit that opposes illegal immigration.

Reporter: Dan Bowens

Copyright 2009 by WRAL.com and the Associated Press.