Debate continues over illegal college students

The head of the state’s public colleges and universities tells a House committee he does not think a bill is necessary to prevent illegal immigrants from being admitted.

University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby testified before a House committee public hearing that the current rules put in place last year by the Board of Regents are working.

“What we’ve found thus far is that of the 318,000 students enrolled in the system last fall, less than one-tenth of 1 percent are undocumented,” he says.

That’s actually 200 fewer than the University System found last year.

Under the new policy, illegal immigrants are barred from attending any college that has had to turn away academically qualified students in the previous two years.  Those include the state’s five largest schools: University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Georgia Health Sciences University, and Georgia College and State University.

Undocumented students can attend the state’s 30 other colleges, but must pay out-of-state tuition.

The House Higher Education Committee on Tuesday heard from many people including the bill's sponsor Rep. Tom Rice (R-Norcross).

“Students who are here without legal documentation should find opportunities elsewhere to get their education,” he says.

 His bill would bar illegal immigrants from all 35 of Georgia's state colleges and universities, as well as the state's 25 technical schools.

 Committee Chairman Rep. Carl Rogers, a Gainesville Republican, said he wants to consider the emails and phone calls he's gotten before bringing the bill up for a vote.