DALTON, Ga. -- Dalton State College officials will be weeding through thousands of pages of student records over the next 50 days to confirm the residency status of all students.
The review is intended to flag undocumented immigrant students who are being allowed to pay in-state tuition rates. The University System of Georgia policy charges undocumented immigrants out-of-state rates.
"The concern now is that there are a number of students receiving benefits they aren't eligible to receive," said Jodi Johnson, vice president of enrollment and student services at Dalton State. "This issue is not going away."
Debate over undocumented students enrolling in Georgia colleges reignited last month when a Kennesaw State University student, Jessica Colotl, was arrested after she was found to be an illegal immigrant.
Brought to the United States from Mexico when she was 10, Ms. Colotl identified herself as a Georgia resident on her admission records and was receiving an in-state discount.
The Cobb County district attorney argues she was cheating the system, while her supporters say she is like many undocumented students who grew up in Georgia, graduated from a Georgia high school and deserve an opportunity to better themselves.
The Colotl case is center stage in the debate among local law enforcement, immigration activists and education leaders about the role colleges should play in identifying illegal students and what benefits, if any, undocumented students should get.
The situation sparks unease Dalton State, which is in a city that encouraged immigrants to come work in the textile industry. At 12 percent, Dalton State has the state's highest percentage of Hispanic college students.
PROVING IDENTITYThe application form for Dalton State College offers three options:1. U.S. citizen2. Nonresident alien3. Lawful permanent residentSource: Dalton State
"If you have high school credentials, I don't think a piece of paper should deny you education," said Kimberly Loais, a 20-year-old Dalton State student studying to be a physician assistant. "It is unfair."
School administrators worry they will be pulled into the minutiae of checking all students' citizenship status.
"It's a slippery slope," Ms. Johnson said. "Students, especially Georgia residents, are going to find that offensive. You can't pull out names that don't sound American."
Only a couple of dozen Dalton State students identify themselves as nonresident aliens in admission documents and pay out-state-tuition, which is more than three times the in-state rate, she said.
Georgia colleges don't ask students to prove their residency status by providing a birth certificate or other documentation. Students say it's not terribly hard for an undocumented student to secure in-state tuition.
"The (paperwork requirements) aren't as strict," said Jennifer Garcia, a 19-year-old Dalton State student studying biology. "They are taking your word. A lot of people could be outed (under the new requirement)."
Dalton State officials said, unless regulations change, there is no way to know whether students are lying about their residency. A Board of Regents committee is looking into improving residency checks and will recommend changes in October, officials said.
"We are not the immigration authority. That is not the task we are assigned to do," said John Millsaps, a spokesman for the University System of Georgia. "But one of the things they (the committee) could look at is recommendations in strengthening the verification process."
Dalton residents are watching the debate carefully, said Brian Anderson, president of the Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce.
People want to know that taxpayer-subsidized, in-state tuition breaks aren't going to students who are not legal citizens, and situations like the one at Kennesaw State show the strong feelings boiling under the surface, Mr. Anderson said.
"Everyone is extremely frustrated with a lack of reform to immigration policy," he said. "Things like this become a flash point."
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