Open the college doors for all

Opinion: May 1, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By Glenn Hutchinson

McClatchy-Tribune

High school graduation is coming up, but that shouldn’t be a dead end for children of immigrants, even if their parents came here illegally.

Today, thousands upon thousands of graduating high school students who’ve spent almost their whole lives here can’t go to college simply because their parents did not jump through the proper hoops. This is their home, the only home they’ve ever known. Yet many states deny them the right to attend college.

Take North Carolina, the state where I live, for example. It banned undocumented students from its community college system two years ago. Even though these children graduated from high school and are part of their communities, state leaders decided these young people should not be able to continue their education because this wastes resources on noncitizens.

After a public outcry over the decision, the State Community College Board commissioned a study at a cost to taxpayers of $75,000. A consulting firm concluded that there was no negative economic effect from undocumented students enrolling at community colleges, since such students even pay out-of-state tuition.

So last month, the board voted 13-1 to reverse its decision.

But it’s not over yet. A Rules Review Commission must approve the change, and the state Legislature may intervene.

National disparties

Some states welcome undocumented students and charge in-state tuition, but real change won’t happen until Congress decides to pass the DREAM Act, a bill proposed by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif. This legislation would be a pathway for citizenship if students continue with their education or choose military service.

Our history is full of people all around the world who came here to make a better life and contribute their talents to making America great. We should not deprive so many of those who are graduating from high school this summer from fulfilling their potential.

Glenn Hutchinson teaches writing at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. He wrote this for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues; it is affiliated with The Progressive magazine. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.