Civitas called on Attorney General Roy Cooper to review the change and determine whether it’s justified. Cooper spokeswoman Noelle Talley said late Tuesday that she wasn't aware of the 1997 letter that Sullivan cited.
The community college system doesn’t know how many additional undocumented workers will enroll as a result of the rule change, but spokeswoman Audrey Bailey said administrators don't expect a large increase because so few enroll now.
Only 340 students identified as undocumented individuals have been counted as students, compared to 268,400 students who are in degree programs, according to the state Community College System. The students also will continue to be charged the higher out-of-state tuition and aren’t allowed to receive financial aid.
The Civitas Institute, which reported the change in a news release Tuesday, said it may cost the state an additional $6 million to $8 million annually to implement the rule change. The community college system said that full-time students paying out-of-state tuition actually pay about $2,100 per year more than what it costs to teach them.
Sullivan said he reconsidered the 2004 rule after reviewing an allegation that an undocumented immigrant was enrolled in an early-college program operated by a local school district and community college campus.
Some Duke University students researching the issue also questioned system officials about whether illegal immigrants could be denied admission, he said.
--Associated Press
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