Gwinnett Daily Post
May 26, 2010
POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Rep. Rice wants to rectify immigration tuition policy
A Gwinnett representative wants to change Georgia law after a controversy over an illegal immigrant at Kennesaw State University.
Reporter: Camie Young
A Gwinnett representative wants to change Georgia law after a controversy over an illegal immigrant at Kennesaw State University.
Rep. Tom Rice said that if he is re-elected this year, he will sponsor legislation eliminating an exception for verification of immigration status to be eligible for post-secondary education benefits.
A firestorm began recently when deportation proceedings were postponed on a woman who had come to the United States as a child and was a year away from finishing school at the Cobb County college.
The incident brought the light to an exception in a strict law forcing the verification of legal status for any state benefits, since the woman had been paying in-state tuition.
“The state law is clear, the Board of Regents and our universities are required to follow the existing federal law regulating public benefits, including post secondary education,” Rice said. “At any tuition rate, admitting anyone other than citizens or legal residents into our public university system is a violation of federal law and could be cheating lawful Georgia residents out of our higher education classroom seats. We had hoped that policies and procedures put in place in our university system would have been adapted to comply with the spirit, intent and letter of the law regardless of an exemption in the code. … That has not happened and recent events reported in the news demonstrate the need for legislative action.”
College students, he said, should have to go through the same verification process as others seeking state benefits before getting taxpayer-subsidized tuition.
“Taxpayer funded university benefits are intended for citizens and legal residents who have obeyed the rules,” he said. “I intend to keep my word to those who entrusted me with their representation in our state government and to follow my oath of office to see that we obey the law in Georgia.”
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