Published
September 28, 2012
Arizona is fighting an immigration battle that has become more than a little murky in recent months. With undocumented immigrants now able to apply for deferred action to continue to work legally in the U.S., the question has naturally turned to the issue of
in-state tuition. Recently, those immigrants were required to pay out-of-state tuition rates, even at the schools in the states where they lived and worked. However, the introduction of the deferred action program has some schools rethinking their tuition policies, and some actually changing the rules on what
undocumented immigrants must pay to get a college education in the U.S.
New Action Plan Overridden by Arizona Governor
In August, shortly after President Obama’s new deferred action program was introduced, the governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, made her own announcement. Governor Brewer signed an executive order for her state that mandated state agencies were not to issue driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants in Arizona, even if they received deferred action to work in the United States. The order also stated that these individuals were to be denied all public benefits by the state, according to a report at the
Tucson Citizen.
“As the [DHS – Department of Homeland Security] has said repeatedly…these individuals do not have lawful status,” Matthew Benson, a spokesman for the governor’s office, told the Citizen. “They are able to remain in the country and not be deported and not be prosecuted, but they do not have lawful status.”
While Brewer’s order lists a number...
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Published
March 23, 2012
Photo Credit: Santa Monica College
Community colleges across the country have been faced with serious budget cuts that have forced them to make difficult decisions regarding the best ways to serve their students. In the case of
Santa Monica College, a proposal to change the pricing structure of certain classes has been met with both applause and protest. Should community colleges be able to charge different prices for their more popular courses? Santa Monica is dealing with that issue right now.
Program Completion Delayed Due to Insufficient Course Offerings
According to a report at
FOX News, Santa Monica College has been forced to reduce class offerings over the past three years, due to significant
California budget cuts that have left the school, like others around the country, scrambling to find enough resources to adequately meet student need. Unfortunately, the practice of cutting classes has left many students in a serious bind. Students who were poised to complete degree programs or
transfer to a four-year university have not been able to get the core classes they need to complete their requirements.
“Demand is huge across the board,” Bruce Smith, a spokesman for Santa Monica College, told FOX News. “The question is can we continue to keep cutting and cutting classes. It’s pretty devastating.”
Since budget woes began for community colleges in 2008, Santa Monica has been forced to cut 1,100 of its 7,430 classes. This means students are not able to schedule the courses they need to graduate in a timely fashion. In some cases,...
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Published
March 24, 2011
As the immigration debate rages on, a new aspect of the controversy has come to the forefront: should illegal immigrants qualify for in-state tuition at state colleges? A federal law on the books prohibits the practice, but many states have overridden that law to allow those who have grown up in their public schools to move on to higher education after graduation. Others oppose the idea of allowing people who are in the country illegally – and as such, are disqualified from becoming a member of the workforce – to reap benefits not available to legal residents of the country. We will take a look at both sides of the debate, and how some states are deciding to handle the issue of illegal immigration in their own education systems.
What the Law Says
A federal law passed in 1996 prohibits
illegal immigrants from paying in-state
tuition at public institutions of higher education, according to an article at
FinAid. The law reads:
"An alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a state for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an amount, duration and scope) without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident."
Since the federal law was passed, several states have passed state laws allowing in-state tuition to illegal immigrants residing in those states, if the student has attended high...
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Published
November 04, 2010
However, community college is becoming a little less affordable in some areas, with the current
economic slowdown forcing many schools to hike up tuition rates in an effort to combat rising costs and
decreased funding.
In Tucson, Arizona,
Pima Community College is considering
increases in tuition rates for some of their more popular programs. The school is facing financial shortfalls after having state appropriations cut by more than 30% over the past two years. Roy Flores, the college's chancellor, told
Inside Higher Ed, "It looks like we'll have budget cuts for the foreseeable future…As we get squeezed from every corner, I'm concerned about the future of our occupational programs and our ability to respond to people who get
laid off and need new skills to get back on their feet."
Instead of raising actual tuition rates, Pima is considering a premium charge of 10-30% on popular programs like
nursing and avionics. The charge would be phased in slowly, rather than getting assessed in a single expensive bill. Flores does not believe the addition of a premium charge would price many students out of the opportunity to pursue a degree through Pima.
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Published
July 09, 2009
With
reduced tuition costs, shorter program requirements, and
flexible course options, community colleges have provided students across the country with immeasurable benefits. To extend their global reach, some United States community colleges are now offering opportunities for international students to earn
tuition-free credits.
As
VOA News reveals, the US government and participating community colleges have established a program titled “The Community College Initiative.” With this program, the government and community colleges pay the tuition-costs for accepted and qualified international students. In the past two years alone, six countries partook in this program, including Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa, and Turkey. Recently, Cuba, Ghana, and the majority of Central America also joined with their participation.
The Community College Initiative Program
Established in 2007, the program started as a small and focused effort to boost international education and opportunities. As VOA News further asserts, “The program provides job training for people who otherwise could not attend college. They learn skills their countries need, like agriculture and
health care.” Additionally, vocational educators from around the world are able to take advantage of US professional development training and instruction. With just 84 participants in 2007, the number of current participants is now over 500, as students have the option of attending any of the 37 participating community colleges across the country.
With 37 unique locations and programs, the destination for students most significantly depends on each learner's desired academic pathway. Once the school is chosen, international students are able to gain...
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Published
May 14, 2013
Community colleges do not traditionally boast high completion rates, but there are many ideas in the works at schools across the country to bring those rates up. We look at a few that are making headlines today.
New York College Gets Big Donation, New Name
We report on a large donation given to New Community College in New York – possibly one of the biggest donations to ever be given to a two-year school. Now, the school is changing its name and using the money to improve completion rates and provide grants to eligible students.
Pima Community College Placed on Probation
We explore the reasons behind the recent probation of Pima Community College, and what the Arizona school plans to do to bring their credentials back up to par once again.
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