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.