Education is one of the critical issues of our time. How we as a society choose to invest in our young people has dramatic implications for our future. Today, thousands of immigrant youth stand at the intersection of our broken immigration policies and our educational system, hoping for and working toward a better future.
Undocumented young people – many of whom only speak English and are American in every way but paperwork – have to pay out-of-state tuition at North Carolina’s public colleges and universities. This policy puts higher education essentially out of reach for these students. For example, out-of-state tuition for a year of community college is over $8,000, while at UNC-Chapel Hill it’s over $30,000 per year.
Undocumented North Carolina residents shouldn’t have to pay out-of-state tuition. A recent article in The Chapel Hill News states: “It is important to remember that undocumented students are undocumented through no fault of their own. They arrived as young children with their parents, have been educated in U.S. schools, are members of our communities and have dreams of working for their country.
“Beyond its moral value, in-state tuition is also an economic development issue. Many opponents argue that making more students eligible for in-state tuition would detract from benefits for citizen applicants and place a higher financial burden on the state. But according to the National Immigration Law Center, in states that have passed in-state tuition for undocumented students, the percentage of high school graduates who pursue a college degree has risen – which results in increased revenue from tuition payments.”
Fortunately, many young people and friendly organizations are working to change this unjust policy.
The Durham Herald-Sun covered a recent event by members of the NC DREAM Team who are marching from Chapel Hill to Raleigh:
CHAPEL HILL — Through the fog and drizzle, young activists showed up at the steps of the Franklin Street post office, passing out signs that read, “Right to Education, Right to Dream” and “AG Cooper, In-State Tuition Now!”
The morning marchers were leading the North Carolina “One State, One Rate” campaign for in-state tuition for undocumented students. As state law stands now, an undocumented student attending a North Carolina university or college must pay out-of-state tuition.
But the N.C. Dream Team, an organization of undocumented youth and allies fighting for immigrant rights, argue that a clarification to North Carolina law would allow undocumented students to attend school at more affordable rates.
Since the fall semester, young activists have pushed Attorney General Roy Cooper to side with their efforts. They say that have gotten little to no response from his office, and the University of North Carolina system and N.C. Community College System have issued responses, saying they cannot act on this issue until change is made from within the N.C. General Assembly.
In addition to the NC DREAM Team, a statewide coalition called “Let’s Learn NC” has been working for over a year to introduce legislation and encourage support for tuition equality across North Carolina. We encourage you to connect with both groups and lend your voice to the fight for fairness in how tuition is charged.
One state, one rate for North Carolina.
What about justice for the 580,000 children in poverty in North Carolina who are citizens? What are you doing to help them with their tuition costs? And what about the fact of the tax subsidy that hard pressed North Carolina families must pay to cover the real costs of higher education for illegal immigrants–while having to cash in their savings to pay tuition for their own children? (For community colleges, at least, only twelve percent of the cost of the education is covered by tuition.) What about the one third of US college graduates who cannot find a job in their field? What about the 400,000 unemployed in NC. Their are now about 50,000 plus “dreamers” in NC. Where does it stop? Does not charity begin at home? I suggest that the dreamers get in line for citizenship and follow the rules. Yes, perhaps they are due a break–but let’s get an effective quid pro quo first in this nation to make sure that American citizens receive justice and equity.
In sum, where is your sympathy for your own poor and working class countrymen and women who must compete against foreign economic migrants who are here illegally? Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
We are deeply concerned about all children in poverty and those who are unemployed. That’s why we support expanding Medicaid in NC and extending unemployment benefits – both policy items that NC could have easily adopted without much cost to the state. But our policymakers chose instead to make life more difficult on the poor. Everyone deserves the chance to receive an education.