Georgia To Screen Colleges For Undocumented Immigrants

The University of Georgia system has moved to put in place regulations to ensure that illegal immigrants do not pay a cheaper in-state tuition at any of the system's schools.

Georgia lets undocumented students attend its colleges, but charges them the out-of-state rate.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has more on the proceedings:

A new committee will examine the most efficient and cost-effective ways to check the citizenship of all students, Board Chairman Robert Hatcher said. The committee, which includes five regents and four university presidents, will recommend by October ways to prevent or catch undocumented students from getting in-state tuition.

The board also passed two measures to allow colleges to screen student bodies for illegal immigrants and make sure they are being charged the correct tuition amount:

The first measure bars university presidents from granting in-state tuition waivers to undocumented students. The second gives colleges 60 days to review the applications of all students admitted to their institutions for the first time this coming fall to make sure undocumented students don't receive in-state tuition or any other aid prohibited under law.

The system's action comes in response to the case of Jessica Colotl, an undocumented student at Kennesaw State University who was discovered to be paying in-state tuition. The school was unaware of her immigrant status.

The system's board of regents says the new measures are "well within the law."

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